146 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



pulvilli, which are dusky. Wings smoky, almost black on the costal 

 half and at base, the inner margin gradually sub-hyaline ; apical cell 

 rather long petiolate, hind cross-vein more or less bowed out ; tegulse 

 light orange-yellow, the anterior half and smaller forward scale pure 

 white, with the borders faintly yellow ; halteres light orange-yellow. 

 Length of body, 6 to 7 mm. ; of wing, 5 to 6 mm. 



Dixie Landing, Va. (D. C.). Four specimens taken Oct. 5, 

 on flowers of aster, etc. 



This species at first sight exactly resembles a small Tricho- 

 poda, but is easily distinguished from that genus by the bare 

 hind tibiae, long-petiolate apical cell, and the short abdominal 

 pairs of macrochetae. 



Schiner defines Besseria (syn. of Wahlbergia] as having the 

 hind cross-vein straight. Lcew's description of W.'brevipennis 

 states that vein to be strongly oblique. In the above species 

 it is arcuate, and the fourth longitudinal vein is flexed or 

 rounded, not angulated, where it bends to meet the third. 



Mr. Schwarz presented the following note : 



FEEDING HABIT OF A SPECIES OF EMPID^. 



BY E. A. SCHWARZ. 



That the Empidce are predaceous Diptera is well known, but 

 since I do not find in the more accessible literature (although 

 no particular search has been made) any published record re 

 garding their mode of feeding, I venture to communicate a 

 little observation made by myself the present summer. A 

 species of the genus Syneches (probably an undescribed species) 

 was very abundant in the mountains at Ft. Pendleton, Md., 

 during the first part of July. During daytime these flies rest 

 on the under side of leaves, etc., in the shadiest parts of the 

 woods. Toward evening they fly about in the more open 

 places and capture little gnats and other minute Diptera. 

 Holding their pre}^ between the legs, and their body being in 

 vertical position, they slowly fly toward the nearest bush, and, 

 without alighting, most dexterously manage to take hold of 

 the edge of a leaf with the claws of the right or left front leg. 

 The long and very sharp claws are well adapted for taking a 

 firm hold on the surface of the leaf, and the long pulvilli 

 assist in the operation by pressing on the edge or the under 

 side of the leaf. Thus vertically suspended by a single leg, 

 the fly uses its five free legs for manipulating the gnat. 

 Within ten or fifteen seconds it has sucked out its prey, then 

 drops the same and flies away. On a single shrub alongside 



