Annual Report for 1908 of the Zoologist. 329 
to be useful. Apart from this it seems impracticable to make 
war upon the creature in the grub stage in grass land. 
It is generally agreed that crane-flies have a partiality for 
certain kinds of ground in which to lay their eggs, and that 
rank grass on ill-drained soil is especially sought out for 
that purpose. It is worth noting, however, that a contrary 
belief existed among observers on the spot in the case which 
was under investigation. The fly, it was asserted, might be 
seen to emerge from the pupa case, pair, and deposit eggs 
in the immediate neighbourhood all within a few minutes, 
then flying away to be at once picked off by some member 
of the huge flock of sea-gulls, which were attracted by the 
plague of insects. Unless the movements of the insects 
were wrongly interpreted, this observation is one of 
considerable importance, but I am bound to say that it was 
not corroborated by anything that came under our notice. 
For some time after emergence the fly appeared very weak 
and helpless, and when it did begin to move it made a 
very lame and halting progress over the ground, in a 
manner which might suggest the laying of eggs. Exact 
