BKKEZE-FLY CLEAR-'SVING. 191 



several species are wonderfully like gnats, and as they fly abont 

 in the sunshine may readily be mistaken for these insects. 



Of one of these insects, ^geria asiliformis, known to col- 

 lectors as the Beeeze-fly Cleab-wing, Mr. J. Eennie writes as 

 follows : " We observed above a dozen of them, during this 

 summer, in. the trunk of a poplar, one side of which had been 

 stripped of its bark. It was this portion of the trunk which all 

 the caterpillars selected for their final retreat, not one having been 

 observed where the tree was covered with bark. The ingenuity 

 of the little architect consisted in scraping the cell almost to the 

 very surface of the wood, leaving only an exterior covering of 

 unbroken wood, as thin as writing-paper. Previous, therefore, 

 to the chrysalis making its way through this feeble barrier, it 

 could not have been suspected that an insect was lodged under 

 the smooth wood. We observed more than one of these insects 

 in the act of breaking through this covering, within which 

 there is besides a round moveable Ud, of a sort of brown wax." 



The last-mentioned peculiarity is worthy of special notice, 

 because it is not a general feature in the history of the Clear- 

 wings. Just when they are about to change into the pupal 

 form, they usually nibble a hole through the exterior of the 

 branch, and then make a partial cocoon out of the dMris, 

 taking care to place themselves so that the head is towards the 

 orifice. The abdominal segments of the chrysalis are furnished 

 with points directed backwards, so that by alternately extending 

 and contracting the abdomen, the creature is pushed onwards. 

 When it is going to break out of its chrysalis case it uses these 

 little points, and forces itseK partially through the hole, thus 

 allowing the perfect moth to issue at once into the world. 



All gardeners should beware of one very pretty little species, 

 the Gnat Cleab-wing {^geria tipuliformis), which is often to 

 be found upon currant bushes, sitting itself upon the leaves, 

 enjoying the warm sunbeams, and ever and anon opening and 

 closing its fan-like tail. The larva of this insect lives in the 

 young shoots of the currant, and in some seasons damages the 

 crops considerably. 



With two more species of lepidopteran burrowers, we must 

 close our list, one of them boring into wood and the other into wax. 



The first of these insects. Tinea granella, is sometimes called 

 the Wolf Moth. It is a very small insect, and is closely allied 



