muir: two new specifs of ascodipteron. 359 



off bluntly at the end. This forms the outer tube through which a 

 smaller inner tube runs, the two being connected by a membrane, 

 at the apex. Arising from this membrane, and radiating from the 

 inner tube, are fourteen rows of chitinous blades. Dorsally there 

 are six rows, the inner blades being long, narrow and curved slightly 

 forward and sidewards at the tips; the outer blades being shorter 

 and curved backward (Plate 2, fig. 13) ; ventrally there are four rows, 

 their blades being short, broad and curved backward (Plate 2, fig. 14). 

 The anterior edge of the outer tube is not even, but runs back later- 

 ally, thus leaving a large membraneous surface at the sides in which 

 the two rows of large broad blades (Plate 2, fig. 15) are set. By 

 drawing back the inner tube all the blades are drawn into the outer 

 tube and become in great part concealed, as they generally are in 

 living specimens. The curved, hooked dorsal blades are evidently 

 used to drag the insect into the wound cut by the ventral and large 

 lateral blades, as they could not be used as cutting blades. The 

 proboscis has a slight range of vertical movement on its point of 

 juncture with the head, but it could not be used to sever its wings 

 and legs. The antennal pits are narrow, transverse slits, through 

 which the ends of the antennae project. The antennae are two- 

 jointed, the second joint round, with a finely branched arista. Max- 

 illary palpi and eyes missing. 



The abdomen is membraneous, whitish, basal two thirds covered 

 with very fine irregular bristles; the distal third, exposed in the 

 imbedded female, bears longer and darker bristles. The method by 

 which, and time when, the female gets rid of her legs and wings I could 

 not discover, nor could I get the sexes to pair in captivity. I found 

 no trace of legs or wings in the cavity formed under the skin of the 

 bat, so that they must be discarded before she becomes fully-imbedded. 

 It is probable that the growth of the abdomen over the thorax and 

 head is rapid, as I found but one specimen which was only partly so 

 covered. 



The male. Head small, covered with short bristles; notum over- 

 lapping the vertex; occipital foramen large, but much smaller than in 

 the female; eyes absent; antennal pits large, taking up the greater 

 portion of the anterior part of the head; antennae two jointed, first 

 cup-shaped, bearing large bristles, second round, bearing a stout 

 arista with bifurcated end, covered with branched hairs, anterior part 

 studded with "sense pits." Front rounded, face receding, gena (?) 

 (Plate 2, fig. 12b, g.) large; proboscis bulbous, broad, short, projecting 

 anteriorly, with minute tip, set far back under the head (Plate 2, fig. 



