40 C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND. 



Museum, still I am confident that they are ahdominalis Wied., and 

 not spinigera Wd. (for descr. of latter see Wd., Auss. Zw. ii, 197-98). 



Specimens in C. B. Taylor's coll. Jamaica. 



In MSS. Mr. C W. Johnson identifies two specimens which he 

 took in Kingston as V. purpurascens Loew., but they are doubtless 

 this species. 



•M. Yolucolla aiiiia Willist. 



Williston's description is drawn from a single male. The female 

 differs as follows, according to my specimen : 



Length slightly over 13 mm. Anteuiife light brown, first Joint black. The 

 third joint resembles the description given by Williston for the females of V. 

 comstocki, as on its widest part it is nearly twice as wide as on its narrowed portion. 

 Front and vertex light brown, yellowish or golden whitish ]iilose, ocellar spot 

 black. Dorsum of thorax with considerable yellowish pile anteriorly. Scutellum 

 with a milky bluish reflection in oblique lights, and somewhat the same reflection 

 on abdomen. Costal cells not so brown, slightly flavous at base and just distad 

 of the small brown stigma. Clouds on cross-veins, and furcation of veins two 

 and three very faint. 



Las Cruces, N. Mex. One female taken on flowering shrub on 

 mesa, April 18. 



25. Volueella apicifera n. sp. 



Length 14 mm. 9 . Whole face and front pale whitish yellow, a rather faint 

 stripe on cheeks light brownish, no facial stripe, ocellar spot blackish. Antennae 

 wholly yellowish red, third joint moderately notched and much widened basally, 

 arista plumose above, but only shortly so below. Face with short yellowish pile, 

 front with the yellow pile mixed with black, especially at vertex. Face nearly 

 straight, receding couically below, tubercle not developed. Very near V. isabeUina 

 Williston with the descri]ition of which it agrees in the wings, thorax and abdo- 

 men, except as follows : Parallelogram in front of scutellum, and lateral stripe 

 of thorax, yellowish and very distinct, same color as scutellum, but latter with 

 black pile. Hardly a trace of black in pile of post-alar callosities. The black 

 of thorax has two grayish pollinose median vittje. Pleurse thickly whitish yel- 

 low pilose. Posterior black margin of second segment not obsolete on middle, 

 quite uniform in width throughout, except rather abruptly widened at lateral 

 ends. The yellow of abdomen very pale whitish yellow. Second segment with 

 a median black vitta I'unning from hind marginal back to anterior margin of 

 segment, uniformly a little widened anteriorly. Third segment shining bluish 

 black, except the anterior border, which is pale whitish yellow, not interrupted, 

 but a little emarginate in middle, a little widened laterally. Fourth and fifth 

 segments wholly shining bluish black. The short, appressed hairs of yellowish 

 portions whitish, of black poi-tions black, except tliat the fourth segment bears 

 longer whitish but thin pile, with a patch of short white pile on sides at anterior 

 angles, rest of sides with black pile. Venter nearly corresponding to dorsum in 

 coloration, the posterior Idack border of second segment much widened in middle 

 and abbreviated on sides, the black of tliird segment reaching anterior margin in 



