BRITISH SPECIES OF DIPTEROUS GENUS FANNIA 201 



on the side of the rump is, of course, an unmistakable Eider 

 feature. Generally speaking, the colour (with the exception 

 of the speculum) is intermediate between an adult Mallard 

 and a young Eider. The white edgings to some of the 

 under tail coverts is a Mallard feature. The bird is quite the 

 most interesting he has seen. 



A remarkable circumstance remains to be related. When 

 residing on the Pentland Skerries in May last, I saw what I 

 have little doubt was a brother of this bird. It flew past me 

 over the sea at fairly close range, and I had an excellent 

 view of it through my binoculars. I was unable, however, 

 to come to any conclusion as to its identification — it was a 

 complete puzzle. Dr C. B. Ticehurst saw this bird on the 

 same occasion, but quite independently. He, too, has seen 

 the Auskerry specimen, and agrees that the two are precisely 

 similar. Thus another bird of this singular family probably 

 survives. Auskerry lies 25 miles north-east of the Pentland 

 Skerries. 



I am much obliged to Mr Laidlaw, and to Mr Kirk, for 

 allowing me to examine and describe this extraordinary bird. 



THE BRITISH SPECIES OF THE DIPTEROUS 

 GENUS FANNIA, Rob. Dsv. 



By J. R. Malloch. 

 ( Continued from page 182.) 



8. nigra, Mall, <£ . Deep black, hardly shining; eyes very 

 narrowly separated by a black stripe; frons and epistome 

 hardly projecting, jowls descending but little below the eyes ; 

 face silvered ; third joint of antennae about two and a half 

 times as long as the second; arista slightly pubescent; palpi 

 normal ; thorax dull black, unstriped ; abdomen with distinct 

 grey dusting, the dorsal stripe broadly triangularly dilated on 

 each segment ; anal organ small and inconspicuous ; legs 

 9 2 C 



