62 



K. Marshall). In the form of the subspecies centralis {Pangonia 

 compacta centralis, Austen, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 

 loc. cit., p. 214), however, which differs from the typical race inter 

 alia in its diminutive size (not exceeding 12 mm, in length) and 

 darker wings, P. compacta also occurs in the Nyasaland Protectorate, 

 where it was encountered in some numbers on the Samulu stream, 

 near Chibwano's, Chikala, on March 29th, 1906, by Dr. J. E. S. Old. 

 From this locality the Museum possesses seven specimens (including 

 the type of the subspecies), all of which were collected by Dr. Old, 

 whose field-note is as follows : — " Numerous only near the bank, 

 in the heat of the day ; flight rapid, with humming sound much 

 like that ordinarily associated with large common flies. Several 

 were found together in spots only ; they rushed at once to the ankles 

 and legs, and inserted the long proboscis. Vegetation — both short 

 and long grass (1 to 5 feet), scrub, and Ficus trees in the neighbour- 

 hood, and low green trees fairly thick on the banks." 



Pangonia gulosa, Wiedemann. 

 Aussereuropaische zweifliigeHge Insekten, I., p. 99 (1828). 



Plate IV., fig. 29. 



Pangonia gulosa, Wied., which was described from a female from 

 the Cape of Good Hope, and belongs to the group of South African 

 species in which the proboscis exceeds the body in length, is 

 represented in the National Collection by a single female from 

 Stellenbosch, Cape Colony {R. Trimen). No observations have yet 

 been made on the habits of P. gulosa, but they are doubtless similar 

 to those of the South African P. rostrata, Linn., in which the pro- 

 boscis is sometimes even longer, and with regard to which Wester- 

 mann* writes : — " P. rostrata (Tabanus rostr. Linn.) on account of 

 the length of its proboscis is incapable of biting animals sitting, but 

 can only do so on the wing ; it must however bite very severely, since 



* Loc. cit. 



