Dolichopodidae. 347 



male, one more posteriorly ; the apical spine below the front tibiæ 

 shorter than in the male. 



Length 2,5 — 4,5 mm, the female is longest. 



H.praecox is the most common species of the genus in Denmark; 

 Amager, Fure Sø, Tisvilde; on Funen at Hoffmansgave; in Jutiand 

 at Ringkøbing Fjord, Struer, Kandestederne north of Frederikshavn, 

 Skagen, and on Læsø; finally on Bornholm, My dates are ^/e to the 

 first part of August; I have taken it in copula on ^/e and ^/s. It 

 occurs at lakes, ponds and small pools, and it mav even be found 

 running on the surface of water in tracks, but it is also common at 

 the shore. 



Geographical distribution : — A widely distributed species ; Europe 

 down into Spain and Italy, and furiher into Africa and on the Ganary 

 islands ; towards the north to middle Scandinavia, and in Finland. 



4. H. litoreus Fall. 



1823. Fall. Dipt. Suec. Dol. 3, 3, p.p. ~ 1843. Zett. Dipt. Scand. II, 

 443, 3, p.p., et 1849. VIII, 3051, 3—4. — 1857. Loew, Neue Beitr. V, 

 24. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 231. — 1903. Kat. palåarkt. Dipt. II, 342. 

 — Medeterus aquaticus Meig. 1824. Sysl. Beschr. IV, 66, 13. 



Male. Head higher than broad; vertex and frons brown. Epistoma 

 narrov^^ed above, greyish white. Palpi grey. Occiput light grey pruinose, 

 above a little greenish and here brownish pruinose; postocular bristles 

 black, the hairs below w^hite. Jowls very narrow, almost wanting. 

 Antennæ black, third joint roundish, a little pointed; arista slightly 

 longer than the antennæ. Thorax dark ol i ve, somewhat green or 

 coppery, especially behind; it is somewhat brownish pruinose, especi- 

 ally in front; dorsocentral bristles numerous. Scutellum with four 

 bristles. Pleura greenish or æneous, somewhat densely grey pruinose; 

 propleura with pale hairs and one black prothoracic bristle. Abdomen 

 green or sometimes bluish, grey pruinose at the sides, with short 

 hairs, which are black above, pale and a little longer at the sides. 

 Venter grey. Hypopygium almost quite hidden, the short, blackish 

 grey outer lamellæ somewhat protruding downwards behind. Legs 

 green or bluish green; coxæ grey pruinose, also femora and tibiæ a 

 little pruinose; tarsi blackish. The legs have short, black or chiefly 

 black hairs, only a little pale pubescence below towards the apex of 

 the tibiæ and below the tarsi ; coxæ pale-haired ; front femora with 

 a row of spines of unequal length below towards the anterior side, 

 the row stretches a little beyond the middle; after a little interval 

 there are three tlat, brown spines, and still more apically a little 

 tubercle with short bristles; the front tibiæ have an antero-ventral 



