74 



May, 190G {O. C. Dudgeon). Gold Coast : one female from Wassau 

 Territory, 1901 {Dr. S. H. Jones). Sierra Leone : one female from 

 Lokkoh Creek, April, 1904 {Major F. Smith, D.8.O., R.A.M.C.) ; 

 eight females from Karina District, Sierra Leone Protectorate, 

 October-November, 1906 {Dr. H. E. Arbuckle, W.A.M.S.). On 

 the Gaboon, according to Dr. A. L. Bennett, Tabanus obscurissimus 

 " draws blood from man and beast." 



It may be noted that T. obscurissimus, Ricardo, is at any rate 

 closely allied to T. ianthinus, Surcouf, from the Congo Free State, 

 and T. besti, Surcouf, from Southern Nigeria and French Congo : 

 further study of well-preserved material is needed in order to de- 

 termine whether T. obscurissimus, Ricardo, is really distinct from 

 T. ianthinus, Surcouf, and whether the latter may not actually be 

 identical with T. besti, Surcouf. 



Tabanus thoracinus, Palisot de Beauvois. 



Insectes Recueillis en Afrique et en Amerique, dans les Royaumes 

 D'Oware et de Benin, A Saint-Domingue et dans les Etats- 

 Unis, pendant les Annees 1786-1797, p. 55, Dipteres, PL I., 

 fig. 4 (1805-1821). 



Plate V., fig. 38. 



Tabanus thoracinus and the following species {Tabanus par, 

 Walker), both of which have an exceedingly wide distribution, which 

 probably includes the greater part of Tropical Africa, are so similar 

 in coloration and general appearance that care is needed in order to 

 distinguish them with certainty. Apart, however, from its con- 

 siderably larger average size (which in the plate is unfortunately 

 shown only by the line indicating the wing-expanse), T. thoracinus 

 may be recognised by its decidedly darker wings, and by the tips 

 of the front tibias and the whole of the front tarsi being dark brown 

 (clove-brown), instead of, as in T. par, the tips of the front tibiae 

 and of the front tarsi being merely brownish, while the bases of the 

 front tarsi are distinctly lighter. 



