ENTOMOLOGICAL CABINET. 



CTENOPHORA ATRATA. Meigan. 



Tipula atrata. Linni. 



Black Crane Fly. 



Wings of a yellowish tinge, the nervures light 

 brown with a black marginal spot : thorax and body 

 black, first segment of the abdomen red, legs of the 

 same colour. 



Expansion of the wings 1 inch 7 lines, length of 

 body 1 inch 2 lines. 



Inhabits moist places in Epping Forest, in the 

 months of July and August. 



Our specimen of this rare insect was taken some 

 years since by a collector of the name of Bond. The 

 Tipulidae are numerous in this country, and well de- 

 serve the attention of the entomologist, whom we 

 should advise, when collecting, to secure them in 

 pill boxes, and not to pierce them until killed by the 

 fumes of sulphur, as by these means they are less 

 liable to throw off their legs, which is one principle 

 cause of the little attention that has hitherto been 

 paid to them by the majority of collectors : it would 

 appear that many of the species are very local, but 

 from the quantity of eggs deposited by the females 

 the perfect insect would not be uncommon, but we 

 strongly suspect that they afford food to numerous 

 insectivorus birds that remain with us through the 

 winter, as we have often met with larvae in prodigious 

 12-4 



