TirULA. 



the neck vcn- f^-^' • ^'"" reticulated eycR are fo large, that 

 thev cover ofiuoa the whole furlace of the head ; thefe are 

 of i preenift* colour, wiih a cail of purple, when viewed m 

 fome lights. Reaumur fuppofes that two vcrj' lucid Ipecks, 

 on tlie anterior part of the breall, are eyes, though placed 

 in fo very fingular a manner ; the wings of this creature are 

 long, but very narrow, and feeni fcarccly well proportioned 

 to the fi/e of the animal ; they are tranfparent, but have a 

 /light call of brown ; and their ribs, when viewed by the 

 microfcope, appear bcfet with fcalcs, or feathers, in the 

 manner of thofe of the gnat kind. Some fpecies of the 

 tipula: have them .alfo fringed with thefe fcales at the edges ; 

 there are no ailerons, or petty wings, at the origin of thefe, 

 but in the place of them there are two very fine balancers or 

 mallets ; thefe have long pedicles, and roundifli or oval heads ; 

 the ftigmata of the corcelet are four ; one pair is placed im- 

 mediately underneath thefe balancers, and the other imme- 

 diately below tiie firil pair of legs ; the firft pair is very 

 long, the others fmall, and thofe on the rings of the body, if 

 there be any, are too fmall for our fight, even with good 

 glaffes. Each ring of tlie body is compofed of two half 

 cylinders, which are joined into one, by means of a mem- 

 brane, which gives them room to diftend or clofe up at the 

 creature's pleafure. The large tipulce all carry two anten- 

 nx, or horns, upon their heads ; but thefe are of no remark- 

 able IlriiAure, they are only compofed of a great number of 

 joints, each covered with a fine downy hairinefs ; and at the 

 joining of each to the next, there is a tuft of longer and 

 more ftiff hairs. This is the defcription of the common large 

 tipulae which we find in the meadows, and in almoft all its 

 parts is applicable to the generality of the larger fpecies of 

 thefe infefts. 



The fmaller kinds are very numerous, and of great variety. 

 Thefe are frequent in all places, and at all feafons of the 

 year ; the fpring fhewsus immenfe clouds of them, and even 

 the coldeft winter's day fhews a great number of them in the 

 fun-fhine about noon. Thefe creatures fly much better than 

 the larger tipulas ; they feem indeed to be almoft continually 

 upon the wing, and their manner of fliglit is very fingular ; 

 they are continually mounting and defcending again, and that 

 without quitting the direction of the line in which they go 

 forward ; this they will often do for many hours together. 

 In tracing thefe flies from their origin, they ai-e all found to 

 be produced from worms which have no legs, and have a regu- 

 lar fcaly head. Thofe from which the larger tipulse are pro- 

 duced live under ground ; they ai-e mofl: fond of marfhy 

 places, but any ground will do that is not often difturbed. 

 They ufually are found at about an inch under the furface, 

 and are fo plentiful in fome places as greatly to injure the 

 herbage. 



Thefe creatures do not find it neceflary to their hving, 

 that plants fliould be upon the furface of the earth in which 

 they live. There is frequently found in the hollows of the 

 ftumps of old trees, a fort of earth which feldom produces any, 

 vegetables ; yet the female flies of this fpecies well know that 

 their young will find a proper fubfifl;ence there ; and there 

 are ufually found great numbers of them in all thefe places. 

 The hollow elms and willows, fo common in our hedges, and 

 by ditch fides, aftord innumerable proofs of this : but it 

 muft be obferved, that they are only found in fuch earth of 

 this kind as is continually fomewhat moift. 



M. Reaumur mentions a very fingular fpecies of large 

 tipula;, which was produced with him from one of the 

 worms found in the earth of an old elm ; this was of the 

 larger kind, and had fome beautiful fpots on the wings. It 

 had alfo a very elegant tufted antenna ; whereas, in the 

 <;ommon large tipulae, thefe are plain and fimply granulated 

 2 



ones, as well in the males as females. Reaumur's Hill. Ini. 

 vol. ix. p. 7, &c. 



The numerous fpecies are diltributed, by Gmelin, into 

 feveral claffes, as follow ; 



* JV'ilh patent Wings. 



Pectixicorms. With petlinated antenna; ; the wings 

 with a black fpot ; the thorax yellowifh. Found in moift 

 places in Europe. 



RivosA. With hyaline wings ; rivules brown, with a 

 fnowy fpot. Frequent in Europe. 



SiNUATA. With white wings, finuated margin and fpots 

 brown ; cinereous body, and ferruginous feet. Found in 

 the north of Europe. 



QuADlu.MACULATA. With wings brown-veiny, margin 

 and four fpots brown ; abdomen above yellowifti. There is 

 a variety denominated calmar'uujis. Found ia the meadows 

 of Europe. 



Crocata. With wings having a brown fpot ; ab- 

 domen black, yellow bands. Frequent in the north of 

 Europe. 



Oleracea. With hyaline wings ; the margin of the rib 

 brown. Found in Europe at the roots of pot-herbs, grain, 

 S:c. &c. 



HoRTORUM. With hyaline wings ; fcattered obfolete 

 fpots. Found amon;; the pot-herb plants of Europe. 



Tricolor. With whitifii wings ; the exterior margin 

 and bifid apex brown. Found in North America. 



Triangularis. With wincrs dimidiate-brown, and 

 white triangular fpot. Found in Scotland. 



Variegata. Black ; bafe and fides of the abdomen red, 

 fpotted with yellow. Found in the gardens of Europe. 



Contaminata. Black, with white wings ; two bands, 

 and a point black. Found in moifl places ot Europe. 



LuNATA. With a(h-coloured wings, and white mai-ginal 

 lunule. Found in the meadows of Europe. 



Turcica. With veiny wings ; white marginal lunule ; 

 cinereous body, and abdomen with a black dorfal line. 



Pratexsis. With variegated thorax ; brown abdomen ; 

 fides fpotted with yellow ; front tawny. Found in the mea- 

 dow's of Europe, deftroying the roots of grafies. 



DoKsALls. Yellowilh ; brown back ; hyahne wings ; 

 marginal fpot black. Found in Germany and Italy. 



Plumbea. Brown-cinereous, with white wings ; rib and 

 nerves black. An Italian infeft. 



Terhestris. With hyaline wings ; brown marginal 

 point ; back of the abdomen cinei'cous. Found in Europe. 

 See Craxe-F/)'. 



Corxicina. With hyaline wings, marginal point brown : 

 abdomen yellow ; three lines brown. Found in Europe at 

 the roots of plants. 



Nigra. With brown wings, and black body. Found 

 among the plants of Europe. 



Albimana. Black, with teftaceous thighs, and hinder 

 tarfi white. 



Cos PALIS. Sordidly yellow ; with antenna: twice longer 

 than the body ; hyaline wings, andbrowniih colla. Found 

 in Van Diemen's Land. 



Clavipes. Brown ; with tarfi annulated with white in 

 the middle ; ovated, incraflated. Found in North America. 



Atrata. With glaucous wings ; marginal point and 

 body black ;, firft fegment of the abdomen and feet red. An 

 European infeft. 



BlMACULATA. With hyaline wings ; two brown fpots ; 

 the middle of the abdomen fpotted ferruginous ; plumofe an- 

 tennse ; as the former. 



Annulata. 



