ANTHBAX. 129 



(genus Hemipenthes, Loew) with distinctly developed pulvilli, which in others are very 

 small (A. sinuosa) or rudimentary (A. lepidota, A. scylla). Face very little projecting, 

 only slightly convex ; proboscis not projecting ; third antennal joint short-conical, some- 

 times very short (A. scylla), with an abruptly beginning long undivided style, bearing a 

 microscopic bristle at the tip. The prevailing colour of the known species is black, with a 

 black pubescence, and the antero-proximal portion of the wings to a greater or lesser 

 extent black or dark brown. White stripes on the sides of the thorax and white cross- 

 bands on the abdomen occur in the European A. maura and the American A. lepidota 

 and A. chimcera. Although, in their dark colouring, these species somewhat resemble 

 Argyramoeba, they are abundantly and easily distinguished by the structure of the 

 antennae (undivided style ,* no tuft of hairs at its tip), the front tarsi (much shorter, 

 stouter, differently pubescent), the venation (none of the stumps of veins so common in 

 that genus), &c. 



Loew introduced the genus Hemipenthes (Centur. viii. no. 44, 1869), which he separated 

 from Anthrax on account of the presence of pulvilli ; he adds no other characters, and 

 names the European A. morio and the American A. seminigra, Loew, as types. In his 

 Beschr. europ. Dipt. i. p. 172, published in the same year (1869), he says distinctly 

 that, besides A. morio, he knows of no other European species of Hemipenthes. But he 

 seems to have overlooked the fact that distinct pulvilli exist in the European A. velutina, 

 Hoffm. (as was noticed by Schiner in his 'Fauna,' i. p. 50, 1862), and in its American 

 representative A. sinuosa. Still smaller are the appendages visible, under the micro- 

 scope, at the base of the ungues of the European A. maura and its American repre- 

 sentative, A. lepidota ; a repeated examination convinces me, nevertheless, that they 

 are minute pulvilli. Even in A. scylla I perceive something similar. Thus it seems 

 that within the present group the development of the pulvilli is subject to variation 

 and gradation. 



I deem it preferable, therefore, to leave the genus Hemipenthes in abeyance, and to call 

 the present group Anthrax (sensu stricto). Two reasons militate in favour of retaining 

 the name Anthrax for this particular group : first, because the original Anthrax morio, 

 Scopoli, belongs to it ; and, second, because the name Anthrax (meaning coal) is the 

 best adapted for this group of black species. In this case we have not only priority, 

 but an appropriate name in Anthrax. 



In speaking of my genus Isopenthes (comp. above, p. 96), I have alluded to the 

 remarkable affinity between that genus and the present group of Anthrax (sensu stricto). 

 Isopenthes has all the characters attributed above to the present group, including 

 distinctly, although moderately, developed pulvilli. If the cross-vein bisecting the 

 first submarginal cell were wanting in Isopenthes, I do not see how that genus would 

 be distinguishable from Anthrax sensu stricto ; I. jaennickeana, apart from the 

 presence of this cross-vein, differs very little from Anthrax sinuosa (compare under 

 that species, p. 133). This subject deserves the attention of those to whom fresh 



biol. centr.-amek., Dipt., January 1887. s 



