208 A. U MELANDER. 



nature specimens totally black. Most of the specimens, however, show a ten- 

 dency in the tarsi and posterior tibise to become lighter in color, even yellow. 

 Legs rather short and stout, front femora thickened more than the others, poste- 

 rior femora not lengthened, posterior tibia; on hind apical third beset with a 

 brush of golden hairs and produced to form a yellow sheath about posterior 

 basal part of metatarsi. This ornamentation is variable in size, and generally 

 more evident in the male. Wings cinereous hyaline, veins yellowish to brown, 

 third and fourth subparallel at tip, in some specimens slightly converging, 

 fourth generally attenuate at base. 



Fourteen males, twenty-seven females; Monterey Co., Cal., July. 

 Three males ; A.ustin, Texas, March, October. One male ; Granite 

 Mountain, Texas, March 30th. 



I>rapetis medetera sp. nov. (Fig. 22). 

 Very similar to tiitida, but readily distinguished by its smaller size and more 

 slender legs. The posterior legs show less tendency toward the brown coloring, 

 especially in the northern specimens, their brush is much reduced, sometimes 

 wanting, and when present of a darker, orange color. The third antennal joint 

 is two to two and one-half times its greatest width and pointed. Length 1.75- 

 2 mm. 



Six males, sixteen females ; Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona. 



A very unstable form. 



DrapetJs nigra Meigen (Figs. 12, 17, 24). 



Four specimens from Brookings, South Dakota, do not disagree 

 with Meigen's and others' descriptions. 



The front is narrow, the eyes are subcoutiguous for a long space 

 beneath the antenuse, the hypopygium is much as in dividua, there 

 are no thoracic macrochsetse, the scutellum has two apical bristles, 

 the legs are largely piceous and the veins of the wings are strong. 

 For the wing neuration see the figure 



Orapetis (lividiia sp. nov. (Fig. 16, 18, 23j. 

 Length 1.25-1.5 mm. — Obscure black. Antennse black, third joint cordate, 

 arista nearly two times length of antenna. Eyes narrowly separated above and 

 below antennse. Proboscis one-half head height, fuscous ; palpi piceous, with 

 golden hairs, rather broad. Front narrow. Occiput, thoracic dorsum and abdo- 

 men moderately shining, covered with dusky hairs; thorax without macrochae- 

 tse, scutellum with two moderately long and several shorter bristles ; pleurae 

 shining, not metallic. Halteres black. Hypopygium horizontally cleft, covered 

 with stiff dusky hairs at base and black ones at tip, the upper portion erect, the 

 lower larger part terminal. Legs black, the tarsi sometimes lighter ; none of the 

 femora greatly thickened, no macrochsetse, no brush nor spur on hind tibije, hind 

 femora not much bent, hind metatarsi not enlarged, a little compressed. Wings 

 clear hyaline, costa not thickened, marginal cell at tip of first vein twice as wide 

 as submarginal, third longitudinal vein ending much before apex of wing, fourth 

 ends at apex, second basal a little longer than first, third and fourth longitudinal 

 veins slightly diverging, anal angle rather full. 



