178 KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY. 



Kovvarz, In a review of the European species of Gonia * adds to 

 the synonymy of Gjnia hcbcs, Spcillanzania cognxta Rond., and >S. 

 alpestris Rond. He does not mention Rondoni's hebes, which would 

 indicate that he agreed with Schiner that it was Cnephalia biicepJiala 

 Meig. He says in his introduction that the genus Spallanzania R.-D., 

 which in distinction from Gonia Meigen was founded upon the short- 

 ness of the second joint of the arista, is not tenable, because of the 

 inconstancy of this character; and credits Dr. Williston with having 

 previously make a similar observation regarding the inadequacy of 

 this character for separating species. f 



Van der Wulp about this time made a strenuous attempt to clear 

 away the obscurity surrounding the species hebes, when he declared| 

 that Gonia hebes (Fallen) Meigen, Cnephalia hebes Rond. and C. 

 bucephala Schiner (non Meigen) were synonyms, and called the 

 species after Rondani, Cnephalia hebes. Thus, though Schiner stated 

 positively that Rondani did not have the true hebes, but instead 

 bucepliala Meigen, v. d. Wulp believes that Rondani was correct 

 and that Schiner, besides misconstruing bucepliala, was guilty of dis- 

 tributing specimens of the same species to different genera. What a 

 blessing to the poor muddled student of today if this synonymy could 

 be accepted without question! But, alas, the researches of later 

 writers have only added to the confusion. 



Brauer and Bergenstamm, during the writing of their recent great 

 work, have been induced to change their minds several times in 

 regard to the ill-fated hebes. They first follow § Schiner and recog- 

 nize Cnephalia bucepliala (Meigen) Schiner as a valid species and the 

 type of the genus. Later, 1| an examination of the specimens under 

 that name in the Schiner collection results in assigning them to three 

 different species, as follows: C. multisetosa Rond., C. bisetosa B. B. 

 nov. and Spallanzania hebes Rond. A male to which they gave the 

 first name has the second aristal joint but little longer than broad, 

 anvd the third antennal joint shorter than the second. A female, the 

 type of biseiosa, has a similarly shortened second aristal joint and the 

 third antennal joint one and one-third times thedength of the second. 

 The third form is referred to Spallanzania because the second aristal 

 joint is three or four times as long as thick, and the third antennal joint 

 is twice as long as the second. In this last species they recognize the 

 hebes of Rondani. It then follows that hebes Rond. is distinct from 

 hebes Fall, and the former, which was the type of Cnephalia, does not 

 belong to that genus, but to Spallanzania in the sense of the author 



* Wien. Ent Zelfc. vii, Jan.. 1888, p 1. 



t North American TacbinidEe. Caiiadiau Entom. xix, p. B. 



tBiol. Ceutr.-Anier Dipt. li, p 45. 



§ M;.m ;. Sc iiz Pa -s I, i> 10 J. 18 J9. 



J L. c. Pars II, p. 353, 1891. 



