206 Annals of the Soiith African Museum. 



i., p. 312) and C. ?rotundata, Cam. (Zeits. f. Hymen, ii. Dipt., 

 1905, p. 231) belong to Chalcis, Ashm. {Oncochalcis) . 



The determination of the Walkerian species is a work of difficulty 

 and uncertainty from the fact that his descriptions refer only to 

 coloration. The account given of the femoral teeth is very in- 

 definite ; in the description of C. amenocles from Sierra Leone (List 

 of Ghalcidites, i., p. 84) they are not even mentioned ; in C. varipes 

 (Notes on Chalcid., p. 48) they are stated to be "armed beneath with 

 several small teeth " ; in C. polyctor (Trans. Ent. Soc, 1862, p. 354) 

 they are stated to be armed beneath " with several rather large 

 teeth." According to Mr. W. K. Kirby (Journ. Linn. Soc, xvii., 68), 

 amenocles, varipes, and polyctor (not the species described in The 

 Entomologist, 1841, p. 218, from Sierra Leone, which is stated by 

 Kirby, I.e., to be a different species from the polyctor of 1862) are 

 varieties of one species. C. amenocles, however, is said to have the 

 hind coxae black, as is also the case with polyctor oi 1862; hni varipes 

 has the hind coxae red, if the Walkerian description is to be relied 

 upon. It is impossible to clear up the matter from the descriptions 

 alone. I have a specimen from the Cape which agrees fairly well 

 with Walker's description of amenocles. The red-legged species of 

 Chalcis known to me from South Africa may be separated as 

 follows : — 



1 (4) Hind femora red, with a large black mark on the 



outer side, their coxae with red in the middle. 



2 (3) Abdomen red, except for a triangular black mark on 



the base natalensis. 



3 (2) Abdomen entirely black melanospila. 



4 (1) Hind femora red, not spotted with black ; white at 



apex. 



5 (6) Hind tibiae entirely white dunhrodyensis. 



6 (7) Hind tibiae black, white at the apex melanogastra. 



7 (G) Hind tibiae black, white, and red. 



8 (11) Hind coxae red for the greater part. 



9 (10) Metanotal area and metanotum smooth and shining, 



the areola pointed at the apex, coxae broadly black 



at the apex spilopus, Cam. 



10 (9) Metanotum and areola opaque, alutaceous, the areola 



not sharp-pointed at the apex ; the coxaa entirely 



red capensis. 



11 (8) Hind coxae black amenocles, VVlk. 



The last 3 species may be known by the form of the metanotal 

 area and of the reticulations on the metanotum. In capensis the 

 areola extends from the base almost to the apex, is of uniform width, 

 and bears one or two transverse keels, the lateral reticulations are 



