304 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.51. 



Maximilian's time, and who has been immortalized by Lucien Biart 

 in his fascinating "Adventures of a Young Naturalist." 



One female, Real del Monte, Hidalgo, Mexico, 9,000 feet, Sep- 

 tember (H. T. Van Ostrand), donated by Mr. W. R. Walton. The 

 holotype of ^S". aurea was collected by Sumichrast. 



Family SARCOPHAGIDAE. 



MELANOPHYTO, new genus. 



Genotype. — MelanopJiyto maerens, new species. 



Differs from BracMcoma as follows: Female. Vertex little over 

 one-fourth head width. Frontalia broader than one paraf rental. 

 Cheeks less than one-half eye-height. Lower breadth of clypeus 

 nearly as great as length of facial plate, epistoma not projected be- 

 tween vibrissse. Arista more than twice as long as third antennal 

 joint, a little thickened on little more than basal third, short-plumose 

 on thickened portion, the rest bare and hair-like. Antennal axis 

 nearly equal to height of head. Four lateral scutellar pairs of bris- 

 tles, the hindmost pair longest and widely separated; two discal 

 pairs, no apical. Abdomen flattened, greatly broadened, subrounded 

 in outline from above; first four segments short and of equal length, 

 the first three of nearly equal width, the fifth still shorter. No median 

 macrochaetae on first two segments. Wings long and rather broad; 

 third vein bristled less than halfway to small cross vein; no costal 

 spine. Small cross vein well before end of first vein. 



MELANOPHYTO MAERENS, new species. 



Length of body, 10 mm.; of wing, nearly 10 mm. One female, 

 Mexico City, January 4, 1915 (R. H. Van Zwaluwenburg, No. Mx4). 



Black, head soft deep black. Narrow irregular bar across para- 

 frontals, area of paraf acials inclosing the f acio-orbital row of bristles, 

 rather broad bar across cheeks deep soft gold. Frontalia, antennae 

 and palpi ordinary black. The soft black and gold vary with light 

 incidence, the facial plate showing a gold coat in oblique lights. Occi- 

 put and hind border of cheeks of ordinary black, with thin coat of 

 silvery. Five vittae on thorax; the middle one on each side linear, 

 the others heavy. Mesoscutum and scutellum silvery, the pollen in 

 front of suture with marked golden tinge, a gold stripe from humeri 

 to suture, two pale golden vittae in middle before suture; the pollen 

 thickening on margins of postsutural scutum into varying spots 

 according to light incidence. Front half or so of pleurae brownish- 

 black, without pollen. Abdomen rather shining; silvery pollinose, 

 most pronounced on bases and middle of segments by direct view, 

 varying with lights. Wings faintly infuscate in the region of the 

 basal and small cross veins. Patagia cream-yellow. Tegulae white, 

 margined with black ; the front scale glassy, transparent. 



Holotype.— ^o. 20031, U.S.N. M. 



