304 Transactions. — Zoology. 



on the lower surface. Wings with yellow tinge. Veins all 

 about equally distinct ; costal vein ending at tip of second 

 longitudinal just before apex of wing ; apex of inner mar- 

 ginal cell and of fork of third and fourth longitudinal almost 

 in same transverse line ; fifth longitudinal not reaching fork 

 of fourth. 



This is a doubtful species, but I believe it to be dis- 

 tinct. I have four specimens, taken in Fagus bush, in 

 March. 



Mycetophila variabilis, sp. nov. Plate XII., fig. 3. 



Length of antennae, 0-090; size of body, 187 x 0-033; 

 expanse of wing, 0-198 x 0-071. 



Antennge rather slender ; first joint of scapus light- 

 yellow with setae on lower surface, second joint with setae 

 all round anterior border ; length of each joint of flagellum 

 more than twice the breadth, basal half of each joint yellow, 

 apical half brown, last seven joints entirely brown, covered 

 with short pubescence giving grey reflections. Palpi yellow, 

 covered with black hairs. Front dark-yellow, with short black 

 hairs and a row of long black bristles along the anterior and 

 lateral margins. Thorax dark-yellow, with short and long 

 hairs scattered over its surface ; sometimes the thorax is 

 marked with more or less distinct broad d-ark-brown or black 

 longitudinal stripes, which in extreme forms cover the greater 

 part of its surface. Scutellura varies from yellow to brown, 

 and has four long black bristles situated on its posterior 

 border. Metathorax and pleurae brown, the latter rather 

 hairy. Abdomen varies from brown to yellow, the posterior 

 margin of each segment being usually far lighter in colour 

 than the anterior portion. Halteres with short stout pedicels 

 bearing rather large clubs, brown in colour, covered with a 

 close short pubescence. Legs stout ; coxae hght-yellow, with 

 one or two small spots of brown on the sides ; femora light- 

 yellow, in the darker specimens they are conspicuously tipped 

 with black ; tibiae straw-colour, often darker at the tips, with 

 longitudinal rows of black hairs and spines of two sizes, the 

 longer being long and stout ; the longer spur almost as long 

 as the metatarsus ; joints of tarsus light-yellow, with nume- 

 rous rows of black hairs and spines on the under-surface. 

 Wings with distinct yellow^ tinge. Veins dull -yellow, all 

 equally distinct ; auxiliary vein short, but not terminating 

 abruptly ; second longitudinal uniting with costa some dis- 

 tance before the tip of the wing ; often a small black patch 

 at the end of each branch of the longitudinal veins ; usually 

 a distinct black patch around marginal cross-veins, also a 

 small one at apex of second posterior cell ; fifth longitu- 

 dinal ending at or a little before apex of second posterior 



