Family 12, Rhyphidæ.—The larvæ of most of these insects feed upon decayed vegetable matter.
The species of Rhyphus may often be found resting on leaves in damp situations, they may also be seen on windows, and occasionally "dancing in the air."
They are generally brown, yellow, or grey insects of small size.
Tribe II.—Brachycera.
These insects are generally of much larger size, and more robust in appearance than those contained in the previous tribe. They are divided into twenty-two families.
Fig. 133.—Stratiomys Chameleon.
Family 13, Xylophagidæ.—The Xylophagidæ are thick-looking insects. The head is as broad as the thorax. The legs, which are long and slender, are quite naked. The larvæ live in rotten wood, and the flies may often be seen at rest on the trunks of trees.
