Miller. — The Dipt era Fauna of New Zealand. 313 



along the side to apex ; anterior tibiae with short and stiff bristle-like 

 golden hairs along lower side ; similar hairs on lower side of all the tarsi ; 

 short black bristles at anterior angles of posterior tarsal joints. 



Abdomen blue-black, sparsely clothed with short white hairs above 

 and longer ones laterally ; a slight tubercle at anterior angles of 1st 

 segment ; genitalia of $ shown in fig. 53. 



cJ. Length, 9 mm. $. Length, 10 mm. 



Syntype: No. 1241, D. M. 



Habitat. — Arthur's Pass (J. W. Campbell and G. V. Hudson) 



Genus Syritta St. Farg. et Serv. (1828). 



This genus is more or less allied to Xylota, but the posterior femora 

 are very strongly thickened. No species, however, have been recorded from 

 New Zealand beyond S. oceanica Macq., which Bigot is stated to have 

 found also in Tahiti ; since then it has not been recorded in the Dominion. 

 Hutton* considered that it did not occur in New Zealand, but nevertheless 

 I give the following description (apparently quoted from Macquart) from 

 his Cat. N.Z. Dipt. (p. 42). 



S. oceanica Macq. 



S. oceanica Macquart, Dipt. Exot., Supp. 5. p. 112 (1854) ; Hutton, 

 Cat. N.Z. Dipt., p. 42 (1881). 



" $. Palpi small, black. Face rather concave, with silvery down and 

 a black band in the middle. Anterior portion of front with white down, 

 the rest shining black, prolonged into a point in front. The two first 

 joints of the antennae brownish-testaceous ; the third black, brown below. 

 Thorax shining black the sides with white down. Abdomen dull black, the 

 second segment with two yellow spots, shining, and reaching the anterior 

 border ; the third with two shining spots, the fourth entirely shining. 

 Anterior and intermediate femora black, the extremity fulvous ; the 

 posterior pair entirely black ; anterior and intermediate tibiae blackish, 

 the base fulvous ; the posterior pair black, with the knees and a ring in 

 the middle fulvous ; tarsi black the first joint fulvous. Poisers fulvous. 

 Wings clear ; veins normal. 



" Length, 3 lines. 



" Tahiti and New Zealand (Bigot)." 



Genus Tropidia Meig. (1822). 



It is doubtful to what genus the following species belongs ; it was 

 originally placed in Milesia by Whitef and later on retained therein by 

 Walker ; but since the cell R x of the wing is open it certainly does not 

 belong to Milesia. Although there may be many excellent grounds for the 

 establishment of a new genus upon this species, it is considered advisable, 

 in the meantime at least, to retain it in the genus Tropidia, with which 

 it coincides to a certain extent. The genus is characterized by the follow- 

 ing : Eyes bare, holoptic at a point in the male, moderately dichoptic in 

 the female; antennae short, 3rd joint rather rectangular; vein B 4 + 5 

 gently curved into cell R. ; cross- vein r-m beyond middle of cell 1st M 2 

 and oblique. Face without central knob, practically vertical to oral 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 33, p. 95 (1901). 



+ Walker gives White as the author of this species, but there is no record to be 

 found in the Voy. "Erebus" and "Terror,'''' to which Walker refers. 



