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PLATE XXXI. 



F I G. I. 



MUSCA CHAMELEON. 



v 



DlPTERA. 



Two Wings. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. 

 Mufca, a foft flexible Ti unk with lateral Lips at the end. No palpi; 

 SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Dark brown or black. Antennae taper, broken. Eyes large. Ab* 

 domen nearly circular, with three triangular yellow fpots on eadi Side, 

 and one at the extremity. 



Linnaeus, in a former edition of the Fauna Suecica gave this infeob 

 the name of Oejirus dqucs, but he afterwards difcovered it to be a 

 Mufca, and called it Mufca Chamaeleon. It is one of the mpft com- 

 mon Dipterous, or two-winged Infects we have; yet though fo well 

 known in its perfect Hate, few have attended fo minutely to its changes 

 as to difcover that ; they form the moft lingular part of its hi (lory.— 

 The female depofits her eggs in the hollow flalks of aquatic plants, or 

 broken reeds, or fo provides for them that they cannot, but by fome 

 unforefeen accident, be carried away. The egg, in due time ripening, 

 produces a Larva, no way refembling the Parent, but rather a Worm 



M of 



