FLIES. 131 



a distance, some little composite seed, winged 

 with long variegated bristles, and radiating from 

 all parts of it, so as to form a loose globular body. 

 If you are successful in capturing one of these 

 apparitions, and if you place it under the glass, 

 you will find it has materialized into a crane-fly; 

 another species, called bittacomorplia clavipes, 

 generically, because it is in shape much like a 

 slender neuropterous insect, named bittacus ; and 

 specifically, because the first joint of the foot is 

 swollen or thickened, and resembles a club. It is 

 an aberrant form, sure enough, of this long-legged 

 family. Its silvery white head in front, in con- 

 trast to the velvety, jet-black thorax; the legs 

 painted in sharply-defined bands of black and 

 bright white ; the antennae, narrow hyaline wings, 

 and the long, slender abdomen, explain why it 

 presents such a striking appearance when flying. 

 These curious flies are found floating over bogs, 

 where there are shallow, stagnant pools, in 

 which they lay their eggs, and where their larvae 

 live. 



How Nature has ornamented and tricked up 

 these two-winged insects ! Sapphires, amethysts, 

 rubies and emeralds, such as no jeweler has in 

 stock. There are green, brown and japanned 

 specimens. Some shine on the green leaves like 

 blue bits of polished steel ; purple and gold mites, 

 on glassy wings that glisten in the sunlight as 



