Hutton. — On the Diptera brachycera of Neiv Zealand. 41 



This species varies in the colour of the transverse abdomi- 

 nal bands as well as in their breadth ; also in the colour of the 

 legs, which are sometimes almost black. Both sexes have the 

 abdomen linear, and both are of the same size. 



Schiner has identified this species with the Australian S. 

 ambus tus, Walker (1852), but that species has the scutellum 

 ferruginous, the abdomen brassy-green on the sides and hind 

 borders of the segments, the legs black with ferruginous- 

 knees, and the veins of the wing tawny. 



Syrphus ortas. 



S. ortas, Walker, Cat. Dipt, in Brit. Mus., p. 585 (1849) ; 

 Hutton, Cat. Dipt. N.Z., p. 43. S. rectus, Nowicki, I.e., 

 p. 24 (1875) ; Hutton, Cat. Dipt. N.Z., p. 44. 



Face pale-yellow, the vertex black ; antennae piceous, 

 ferruginous at the base. Thorax greenish-bronze, the scutel- 

 lum fulvous. Abdomen black ; the second, third, fourth, and 

 fifth segments with oblique yellow bands interrupted in the 

 middle. Legs fulvous, the tarsi and hind femora clouded with 

 fuscous ; darker in the male than in the female. Length, 

 9-12 mm. ; wing, 7i- 10 mm. 



Hab. Auckland (Dr. Sinclair) ; Dunedin and Christchurch 

 (F. W. H.). Apparently rare. 



The oblique abdominal bands and the yellow face suf- 

 ficiently distinguish this species from the last. 



Syrphus ropalus. 



S.ropalus, Walker, Cat. Dipt, in Brit. Mus., p. 593 (1849); 

 Hutton, Cat. Dipt. N.Z., p. 44. 



Face tawny ; vertex coppery ; antennae tawny. Thorax 

 coppery ; the scutellum tawny or orange. Abdomen narrow, 

 black, orange on each side of the base, and with four broad 

 orange bands, of which the second and third are not inter- 

 rupted, across the back. Legs tawny. Length, $ 7 mm., 

 $ 9 mm.; wing, $ 6 mm., $ 8 mm. 



Hab. Auckland (Dr. Sinclair); Kekerangu, 3,000ft. (Hud- 

 son) ; Dunedin (F. W. H.). Eare. 



The abdomen in the male is subcylindrical. 



Syrphus obesus, sp. nov. 



Face yellow, the vertex piceous ; antennae tawny, the third 

 joint oval. Thorax piceous, with a tawny band on each side; 

 the scutellum tawny, dull. Abdomen oblong in both sexes, 

 black ; the second, third, and fourth segments with a broad,, 

 tawny, transverse, basal fascia, all of which are narrowly 

 interrupted in the female, but that of the fourth segment is 



