ANTHRAX. 11 & 



third posterior cell is not bisected, but has a stump of a vein (as in A. poecilogaster). Is 

 this, again, a different species ? 



5. Anthrax faliginosa. 



Anthrax fuliginosa, Loew, Centur. viii. no. 31 \ 



Hah. Noeth America, California 1 . — Mexico, Northern Sonora? (Morrison). 



I refer to this species a single specimen from Northern Sonora which agrees quite 

 well with the description. An almost exactly similar specimen from Texas (coll. von 

 Boeder) has a distinct stump of a vein in the third posterior cell. 



N.B. — Anthrax alcyon, arethusa, alpha, poecilogaster, ceyx, flaviceps, and fuliginosa 

 form a natural group, distinguished by the Exoprosopa-like front legs (short ; tibiae 

 without spinules ; tarsi very gently tapering, with rather indistinctly marked joints, and 

 a delicate pubescence of erect hairs on both sides ; ungues very small) ; the face conically 

 produced, the proboscis not projecting beyond the oral margin ; the third joint of the 

 antennas in the shape of an irregular cone, gradually tapering off into a long point (but 

 not a style). The colouring of the wings characteristic, brown, with a clear space at the 

 ■ apex, traversed by the more or less distinctly clouded ^-shaped anterior branch of the third 

 vein; a clear space in the discal cell, more or less connected with the posterior margin; 

 supernumerary cross-veins often occur, bisecting either the third posterior or the second 

 submarginal cell ; a stump of a vein in the third posterior cell is very often present. 

 Another peculiarity of this group is that the impressed line which, in most species of 

 Anthrax, issues from the emargination of the occipital orbit, and crosses a portion of 

 the eye, is very short and almost obsolete here. 



This group may be called " Pcecilanthrax," and, as far as known, is peculiar to the 

 American fauna. The species^seem to "be numerous, and are rather difficult to dis- 

 criminate and to characterize ; it may be that, in some cases, constant local varieties 

 occur ; I have alluded to such a case in my < Western Diptera,' p. 240. It may be, 

 for this reason, difficult in some cases to determine such species without examining a 

 considerable number of specimens. 



6. Anthrax edititia. (Tab. II. fig. 13.) 



Anthrax edititia, Say, Compl. Wr. ii. p. 353 (no locality). 



(?) Anthrax gorgon (Fabr.), Wiedem. Aussereur. zweifl. Ins. i. p. 303 \ 



Hab. United States, Texas, Dallas (Boll).— Mexico, Northern Sonora (Morrison), 

 Tehuacan (Sumichrast, in coll. Bellardi). — West Indies l . 



In this insect the whole body is clothed with a yellowish-fulvous, appressed tomentum, 

 which is dense enough almost to conceal the ground-colour and to impart a uniform 

 fulvous hue. Abraded specimens show an opaque, dull brown ground-colour of the 

 body, rufous along the edges of the mouth and on the lower part of the face ; the 



