258 ^ THE CANADIAN UNTOMOIvOGIST, 



contorta. Specimens from Pinus contorta are usually smaller, with the elytra 

 of the males more densely maculate. 



Ha&i^a^.— British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, 

 Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico. 

 M. notatus Drury, 1773, Ills, of Nat. Hist. II, p. 65. 



*confusor Kirby. 



This species can be readily distinguished by the smoky grey color. Oc- 

 casionally the glabrous rugosities become obsolete, or may be rouncfed. It 

 averages larger than any other species and is a good illustration of the tremen- 

 dous variation in size, the minimum being .50 inch and the maximum 1.50 inch, 

 an extreme variation of one inch. Length, 16 to 40 mm. 



Hosts. — Pinus strohus, P. banksiana, P. resinosa, P. ponderosa, Picea 

 canadensis. 



Habitat. — Northeastern part of the U.S. and Canada, including British 

 Columbia. 



M. obtusus Casey, 1913, Mem. on the Coleop. IV, p. 293. 



This is a very good species, breeding in pines of north central California, 

 where the cross ranges connect the coast mountains with those of the interior. 

 In maculation and punctation it is much nearer titillator than any other 

 species, but has a remarkably short, robust form. The sutural length of the 

 elytra is seldom more than twice the basal width, whereas in all other species 

 it is much more than twice the basal width. The characters given in the key 

 and enumerated by Col. Casey make it impossible to confuse this species with 

 any other. Besides the specimens in my cabinet, I have seen a much larger 

 series in the collection of the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco taken by 

 Dr. E. P. Van Duzee. Length 19 to 23 mm. 



Hosts. — Pinus ponderosa, P. contorta. 



Habitat. — California (Lassen and Siskiyou Cos.) 



A NEW WESTERN SYRPHID (DIPTERA). 



BY C. HOWARD CURRAN, 

 Crillia, Ont. 



Toxomerus occidentalis n. sp. 



Mesogramnia gcminata Williston (in part). 



Differs from T. gcniiiiatHs Say in the shape of the process on the hind 

 femora, which is shorter and bears a shorter and stouter arm ; the front is wider 

 in the female, the vertical triangle slightly wider in the male ; band on first seg- 

 ment always interrupted in both sexes. 



Length, 6.5 to 8 mm. $ . Face yellow, below and at the sides finely siU 

 very pubescent ; cheeks black behind. Antennae reddish yellow, arista black ; 

 vertical triangle long, narrow, black, in front and at the vertex with yellowish 

 pollen, in the middle very shining ; eyes less distinctly touching than in T. 

 geminatus, especially dorsally. Pile of the front whitish, a few blackish hairs 

 immediately above the antennae, and entirely black on the vertical triangle. 



*rt is a little doulbtful iff Drury's ^p«iotes notafus, Proon Norway ie ^ur confusor iwid 

 the totter niain« may ihaye to be re-e8t€|Jblishe<J, 



