820 
ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW YORft 
DEE-KILLER. LEGS AND WINGS DESCRIBED. DELIGHTS IN THE SUNSHINE. 
over a tenth of an inch in length, of a tawny yellow color, polished and 
shining, project from the blunt end of the body, these are termed a three- 
pronged sting in the above letter. But the magnifying glass shows they 
are abruptly cut off at their ends and do not taper to a sharp point capable 
pf piercing the human skin. The legs are long and stout and of a pale, 
dull yellowish color. The thighs in the males arc chestnut brown, and on 
their anterior sides they are dull black in both sexes, the hind pair being 
entirely black, except a stripe of dull yellowish along the under side. The 
hind shanks also are frequently black on their anterior sides. The legs 
are covered with gray hairs and have several black bristles in rows running 
lengthwise. In the males the four anterior shanks and feet have the hairs 
yellow, and on the feet the bristles also are of this color. The wijjgs are 
long and narrow, and in repose are laid flat, one upon the other. They are 
transparent, with a smoky tinge, and are perceptibly darker at their tips. 
Their veins are black, except the parallel ones in the outer border, which 
arc dull yellowish brown. The broad pane or panel at the tip of the wings, 
which is technically termed the second sub-marginal cell, rapidly narrows 
as it extends forward into the wing, for two-thirds of its length, the remain¬ 
ing third being quite narrow, with its opposite sides parallel. Along the 
vein which forms the boundary of this cell on its outer side, is a percepti¬ 
ble smokiness, which is not seen along the sides of the other veins. This 
vein is slightly bent in the form of a bow two-thirds the length of the cell, 
when it abruptly curves in the opposite direction, and is then straight the 
remainder of its length. A veinlet connects it to the next longitudinal 
vein, thus forming between the anterior portions of these two veins a third 
sub-marginal cell, which is very long and narrow. 
The arrangement of the veins in the wings, forming three submarginal 
cells as above described, induces me to refer this species without hesita¬ 
tion to Macquart’s genus Trupanea-, although the silvery white spot on the 
tip of the male abdomen would indicate it to pertain to the genus Erax, as 
restricted by the same author. 
The brief note of our correspondent gives us no particular information 
upon the habits of these fli<% or the manner in which they attack and kill 
the bees. But the members of this Asilus group are all so similar in their 
habits that we are aware what the operations of this species will be. And 
some account of the habits of these insects may be of sufficient interest to 
the reader to be here related. 
These Asilus flies, like some others of our most rapacious insects, parti¬ 
cularly delight in the hot sunshine. One or two evidences of this may here 
be adduced. 
Flies of this kind are rare in my vicinity. I suppose I might hunt for 
days without being able to find a living specimen. And I do not recollect to 
have ever seen one of them, hitherto, about my house or yard. Three days 
ago, however, when occupied in preparing this account, I casually sprea 
some damp newspapers before my door to.dry in the hot sun. On stepping 
out to gather up these papers I was most agreeably surprised to seo 
alighted upon one of them and basking in the sun, what proves to be a 
