i86 



HARD Wl CKE'S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



i. A. rusticus, L. 17S1. — Linn. Sys. Nat. ii. 1000 ; 

 Italicus, F. 



Rare and local. Common in many parts of Europe. 



2. A. fulvus, Mg. 1820. — Mg. Sys. Bes. ii. 61 ; 

 alpinus, Schr., Curt., Walk.; rusticus, Pauz. ; jcrus, 

 Schr. ; sanguisorba, Ilarr. 



Closely allied to rusticus, of which Pandelle thinks 

 it a variety. The ^ is very rare. The colour of the 

 legs varies to a very great extent. Rare. 



IV. Chrysops, Mg. 1803. 



Mg. Sys. Bes. ii. 65. 



1. C. ccccutiens, L. 1766. — Linn. Sys. Nat. 1001 ; 

 lugubrisy L. ; viduatus, F. ; nubilosus, Harr. 



Professor Pandelle merges C. sepulchralis, F., as a 

 variety of this species, but they seem to me distinct. 

 He also ranks rclictus and quadratus to varieties also. 

 Both of them, however, are undoubtedly good species. 



2. C. rclictus, Hgg. 1820. — Hgg. in Mg. Sys. 

 Bes, ii. 69 ; cacutiens var., Pandelle ; parallelo- 

 grammus, Zell. ; nubilosus, Harr. ; viduatus, Mg. 



The markings of this species are more irregular 

 than those of C. ccccutiens, and it seems to be some- 

 what less common. 



3. C. quadratus, Mg. 1820. — Mg. Sys. Bes. ii. 

 7° ( c? ) 5 pictus, Mg. ; viduatus, Mg. 



Mr. Verrall first introduced this species to our 

 fauna in the Ent. Mon. Mag. for 1886, January. 



Professor Gobert thinks fenestratus, F., Italicus, 

 Mg., and pcrspicillaris, Lw., only varieties of this 

 species. Rather rare. 



All the species of Chrysops are subject to very great 

 variation, and all are very closely allied. Those 

 taken in Britain come chiefly from the south coast. 



V. H.^MATOPOTA, Meig. 1803. 



Mg. in Illiger's Magaz. ii. 267. 



The species of this genus are very confusing ; some 

 authors (as Macquart) making several, whilst others 

 (as Walker) admit only one. Most of the descriptions 

 are so incomplete that it is impossible to tell to which 

 species the types belonged. 



Macquart, Gobert, Pandelle, and others have all 

 created new species that many authors consider only 

 varieties, and it appears to me that we can, at any 

 rate for the present, only admit three to our fauna. 



1. II pluvialis, L. 1766. — Linn. Sys. Nat. ii. 1001 ; 

 equorum, F. ; hyctomantis <$, Schi. ; Italica (var.), 

 Mg. 



This species often occurs in such numbers as to 

 make whole fields impassable, the bite being very 

 severe, causing much inflammation. Very common. 



2. //. crassicomis, Whlb., 184S. — Wied. Dip. 

 Exot. i. 100; ocellata, Wied. ; pluvialis, Walk. 



This species is lighter in colour, the brown ring 

 marks on the wings more circular, the abdominal 

 spots more distinct than in H. pluvialis, and the 

 hairs on the vertex of the head rusty brown instead 

 of black. Not common. 



3. H. Italica, Mg. 1S04.— Mg. Klass. i. 163; plu- 

 vialis, Wlk. ; grandis, Mcq. ; tenuicomis, Mcq. ;: 

 triangularis, Wied. ; clongata, Curt. ; gymnonota, 

 Bridle. 



Very rare. Two in the British Museum collection. 



Were it not that space does not permit, I should 

 have added analytical tables of the species and 

 extended my notes on each species ; but it is to be 

 hoped that the list as here given may prove of some 

 assistance to those working at this group. 



I am now revising the British Asilidx and Cono- 

 pidre, and should be most happy to receive any 

 specimens for examination or notes on any species of 

 either family. 



129, Grosvcnor Park, Cambenvell, S.E. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Professor von Fleischl, a German professor of 

 physiology, has recently undergone an experiment 

 wherein two-and-a-half inches of the sciatic nerve of 

 a rabbit (dead but warm) was transplanted to his- 

 hand. 



Mr. J. Ellard Gore, F.R.A.S., etc., has in the 

 press a volume entitled " Planetary and Stellar 

 Studies " : papers on the planets, stars, and nebulre. 

 It will shortly be published by Messrs. Roper and 

 Drowley. 



Mr. A. R. Wormald's little brochure, entitled 

 "The Practical Index of Photographic Exposure," 

 has just passed into the second edition. We are not 

 surprised, for it is one of the handiest little books out. 



The planet Mars is just now obtaining much 

 attention. A paper on it has just been read before 

 the French Academy by M. Perrotin. He remarked 

 that the region of Libya has recently undergone fresh, 

 modifications. The sea which covered the surface of 

 this insular mass has mostly receded, its present 

 appearance being intermediate between that of iSSfcV 

 and its condition a few weeks ago. The existence 

 has also been determined of canals or channels,, 

 partly double, running from near the equator to the 

 neighbourhood of the north pole. They mainly 

 follow the meridian, and merge in the seas encircling 

 the white snow-cap of the pole, and, strange to say, 

 their course may be followed across the seas them- 

 selves right up to the snow-cap. 



M. Fizeau has also contributed a paper on the 

 same subject. Speaking of the "canals" of Mars 

 he says — "The various circumstances connected with 

 these appearances, as lately described by Messrs. 

 Perrotin ami Schiaparelli, suggest a strong analogy 

 with certain phenomena of glaciation — parallel ridges, 

 crevasses, rectilinear fissures often of great length 

 and at various angles, observed in the regions of 



