602 DIPTERA OP AUSTRALIA, 



Genus Platyura, Meigen. 

 Platyara, Meig., I.e., p. 1169, ])1. xxxi., figs. 5-6. 



b. Sixth longitudinal vein not reaching the posterior margin, 



465. Platyura contingens, sp.n. 



$. — Length of antennee 0-037 inch ... 0-90 millimHre. 



Expanse of wings 0-160 x 0-055 ... 4-06x1-39 



Sizeof body 0-170x0032 .. 4-31 x 0-80 



Antennae shorter than the thorax ; entirely dai'k brown or 

 black, covered with a minute pale pubescence. Hypostoma and 

 proboscis brown. Front black or sooty -brown. Palpi yellow. 

 Thorax cinereous, opaque, densely covered with short black hairs ; 

 lateral and hind margins setiferous ; humeri slightly tipped with 

 yellowish-brown ; pleurae and metathorax dark l)rown, with a 

 hoary bloom ; scutellum yellowish-brown, setiferous. Halteres 

 yellowish-brown, the stem pale oehreous. Abdomen dark brown, 

 the second to last segment sordid yellowish-brown anteriorly ; 

 densely clothed with black hairs. Fore and intermediate coxse 

 pale oehreous, the latter with a longitudinal brown marking on 

 the apical half in front ; hind coxae dark brown ; all with short 

 black hairs, more numerous on the fore pair ; femora pale oehreous, 

 the intei-mediate pair somewhat tinged with brownish at the base, 

 densely covered with short black hairs ; tibiae darker than the 

 femora ; tarsi almost black, on account o£ their dense pubescence. 

 Tibial spurs black. In the fore-legs the tibiae about y longer than 

 the metatarsal joint. Wings somewhat shorter than the body, 

 pellucid, almost hyaline, distinctly infuscated (more especially 

 anteriorly) at the apex \ veins deep brown. Costal vein extend- 

 ing beyond tip of third longitudinal vein one-third the distance 

 from that to the tip of the anterior branch of the fourth longi- 

 tudinal vein ; anterior branch of the third longitudinal vein at an 

 angle of 45°, its base situated at a point about \ the distance from 

 tip of first longitudinal vein to tip of third longitudinal ; auxiliary 



