affecting the Potato-crops. 



91 



underside hoary, as well as the somewhat orbicular-quadrate 

 scutel : body, long, slender, and 9-jointed, clubbed at the extremity 

 in the males (fig. 38, the abdomen, in profile), but it is much 

 longer and spindle-shaped in the female, with the back slate- 

 coloured ; the apex horny, pointed, and furnished with 2 lateral 

 tapering lobes, and an oviduct between them : 2 wings, longer 

 than the body, spreading when at rest, rather smoky, with an 

 areolet and 7 cells at the apex ; the nervures and a stripe along 

 the costa, including the stigma ochreous-brown ; two balancers, 

 long, slender, and clubbed : legs 6, slender, very long, especially 

 the hinder pair, bright ochreous ; tips of thighs, shanks, and the 

 terminal joints of the tarsi brown ; the claws are curved and 

 acute, with minute pulvilli between them. The male is nearly § 

 of an inch long, and the wings expand 1 J inch ; the female (fig. 

 39) approaches 1 inch in length, and the wings expand nearly 2 

 inches. 



There is another species so closely allied to the foregoing, 

 that it is generally confounded with it : their habits and economy 

 are similar, but they seem to be distinct, and it has been named 

 by Meigen * 



22. T. paludosa, implying its partiality to marshy ground. It 

 is of the same size and colour as T. Oleracea, but the back of the 

 abdomen is not of a slate-colour, the wings are shorter in the 

 female, as well as her legs, which are also much stouter than those 

 of the male. 



The males of the autumnal broods of both species first make 

 their appearance about the commencement of August, and the 

 females are abundant until they are killed by the frosts of au- 

 tumn. Even in the chilly mornings of October they may be 

 seen, half stupified by the cold, hanging by their fore-feet, their 

 wings covered with dew, and lying flat on their backs, until 

 warmed by the cheering rays of the sun the male takes wing, and 

 the female drags her heavy body and long legs after her as she 

 flies through the grass. The males are attracted by light, as 

 I have seen great numbers come to a lamp at night in September, 

 and the females have been observed at sea in calm weather many 

 miles from land, standing on their legs, with the wings spread, 

 sailing along unhurt. A few appear to be hatched in the spring, 

 and no doubt there would be .more, were it not for the larvae 

 furnishing rooks and many other birds with food during the winter 

 and early spring. This is doing essential service, for in all pro- 

 bability these would produce the parents of the autumn broods, 

 which, it is evident, are sufficiently numerous, notwithstanding the 

 checks upon their multiplication. 



* System. Besch. Europ. Zweif. Insecten, vol. vi. p. 289. 



