32 TEXAS NATURE OBiSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 



secondly they have about the same 

 netwings and eyes — the latter of 

 a greenish color and of the same 

 prismatic and cubic arrangement 

 of the lens segments; and third, 

 the mouth parts have a cimilar 

 anatomical arrangement as the 

 vituperous horse-fly species. The 

 most prominent characteristic of 

 this fly, however, is the peculiar 

 humpback-like thorax, which pro- 

 trudes considerably over the balance 

 of its body. In flying, these flies 

 make a humming noise with their 

 wings, and they are exceedingly 

 swift in their flight, flying however 

 only a short distance, and always 

 with a loud buzzing noise, which 

 is suddenly cut short when they 

 alight on the ground or brush. 



During a hunting trip in the 

 lovely Leona Valley and also at 

 the Olmos, north of the romantic 

 head of the river, some years ago, 

 the writer first encountered these 

 insects; and one in particular 

 attracted my attention, as it carried 

 a large black wasp in its claws dur- 

 ing its flight. I followed it a 

 short distance, when it lit on a 

 sunflower bush, and on closer 



Vicious Prairie Fly With Its Victim, 

 A Black Wasp. 

 (Normal Size from Nature) 



inspection it was seen that it had 

 perforated the wasp's abdomen 

 with its long proboscic implements. 

 Being supplied with some chloro- 

 form, a few drops gradually made 

 the insect loosen its hold and drop 

 to the ground, still having the 

 wasp in its clutches; and, after 

 bringing this specimen home, I 



prepared a photo view of it, 

 showing also the captured wasji 

 beneath it, though the feet were 

 somewhat relaxed and the mouth 

 daggers of the fly also retracted — 

 placed in normal condition. 



As to the harm some of the 

 Texas insects and also reptiles 

 are liable to do, while the great 

 majority of insects and reptileu 

 in Texas are of a harmless nature, 

 some genera are supplied with 



The Tongue and Daggers ce the Texaj 

 Horsefly 



special weapons of defence,as 

 well as with venom apparati, com- 

 municating with separate inocu- 

 lating (stinging) implements, which 

 they use with more or less deadly 

 effect during combats among them- 

 selves or as a means of self- 

 defense _ or of food supply, by 

 inoculating and killing their victims 

 and, whilst the majority of the 

 dangerous types of insects and 

 reptiles are liable to inflict very 

 painfyl, and, in rare instances, 

 deadly wounds upon' human beings, 

 they rarely attack a person unless 

 they are molested, either purposely 

 or accidentally. 



After the above humpback-fly 

 had been captured and photo- 

 graphed with its victim in its 

 clutches, I prepared a photomicro- 

 graph of this fly's suction and 

 stinging implements. 



