March, 1902.] New or Little Known Dipiera. 229 



Criorhina umbratilis Will. 



So far as I am aware only two specimens, one of each sex, of 

 this species have been mentioned in literature. I have seen four 

 additional female specimens recently ; three taken by Chas. 

 Dury at Cincinnati, Ohio, and one taken by E. B. Williamson at 

 Na.shville, Tenn. Mr. Dury procured his specimens from the 

 blossoms of thorn apple about the middle of ]Ma3^ Ceria, Spe- 

 comyia and other desirable species were taken at the same place. 

 It is quite probable that thorough collecting on these blossoms 

 would yield many specimens which are considered rare. Each 

 of the gentlemen mentioned have donated a specimen of this 

 insect to the universit}^ mu.seum. 



Tropidia mamillata Loew. 



Loew described this species in the first century of his North 

 American Diptera, from a male specimen taken in Illinois. The 

 t3'pe seems to have remained the only recorded specimen up to 

 the present time. In a collection made by J. C. Bridwell at 

 Baldwin, Kansas, is a male which agrees perfectly with Loew's 

 description. Through the kindness of Mr. Bridwell the speci- 

 men is now^ in the universit}' museum. 



Phorantha and Alophora. 



I have had much interest in the species of these two genera for 

 some time. They appear in large numbers in late fall, on such 

 flowers as maj^ remain imtil the middle or last of October, and 

 especially upon the various species of Aster. A few specimens 

 have been taken at other seasons, but as a usual thing they are 

 rare, while hundreds of specimens of various species may be 

 taken in October around Asters. A small patch of these plants 

 grown on the campus by the Botanical Department were in blos- 

 som through October last fall, and Mr. Bridwell procured a large 

 number of specimens belonging to at least six species. Near 

 noon of warm, clear days most specimens were taken. 



Phorantha bridwelli n. sp. 



Head at the vibrissie longer than at the base of the antennas, frontal vitta 

 wide, brown, otherwise the front and face ^-ellowish, covered with white 

 pollen, facial ridges bristly below, but not all of the l)ristles are in the single 

 row on each side ; antennce reaching to the middle of the face, first two joints 

 reddish, third joint and arista brown, second and third joints of nearly equal 

 length ; front at narrowest part nearly three times as wide as the distance 

 between the posterior ocelli, ocellar l^ristles small, cheeks clothed with fine, 

 pale hairs. Thorax dark in groimd color, sternum, sides and scutellum thinly 

 gray pollinose, disk yellow pollinose, except four brown, longitudinal vittse, 

 which extend from the anterior part to beyond the transverse suture, the 

 outer one on each side abbreviated before and extended behind ; wing brown, 

 base to humeral cross-vein and apex of second basal cell }-ellowish, which 



