Author : J. W. Douglas
Publisher : Forgotten Books
Page : 290 pages
File Size : 20,36 MB
Release : 2016-08-16
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781333247683
Book Description
Excerpt from The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, Vol. 12: June, 1875 Muscidce are very sluggish in their movements, and are incapable Of ight. Four species are common. One of them is abundant on Pringlea, crawling over the leaves. When it is approached, it feigns to be dead, and, tucking up its legs, drops down into the axils Of the leaves; or, if it happens to be upon a plane surface, one need only look at it closely, and it throws itself promptly upon its back and remains motionless until the threatened danger is over, when it gradually ven tures to move its limbs and struggle to regain its footing. Its wings are represented by minute gemmules, and it possesses halteres. The ovipositor is extended, its apical joint alone being retracted. The larva feeds upon decaying vegetable matter. Another species occurs on dead birds and mammals, as well as beneath stones near the highest tide-mark. It is completely destitute Of even the vestiges Of wings and halteres. It and the preceding species are rather smooth. A third species, slightly hairy, is common amongst tide-refuse and on the adjacent rocks, which are coated with Enterommpha, on which plant, inter alia, the larva feeds. It has very small triangular rudiments Of wings, slightly emarginate near the apex Of the costa, and possesses halteres. The fourth species occurs amongst grass growing on the sea shore and also in Shag-rookeries. Its linear and very narrow wings are almost as long as the abdomen. It can jump, but cannot y. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."