PLAIN WINGED CULICES WITH WHITE TIPPED FEET 425 



it is known as the " Norway Mosquito," having been introduced, it is 

 said, some twenty-five years ago in a yacht, from Norway. 



Note. — I have seen the types in the Jardin des Plantes, and they 

 afford a good illustration of the uncertainty of the older descriptions of 

 gnats. One of the types is really, I think, a specimen of C. pipiens that 

 has somehow got misplaced, but the other four, which are in very fair 

 condition, answer well to the above description, although this differs from 

 Meigen's, in some points. 



62. CULEX PENICILLARIS, Eondani. 



(Boll. Sec. Ent. Ital. (1872), Rondani ; Venti Sp. Zanzare Italiane, p. 112 



(1899), Ficalbi. 



Closely resembles C. dorsalis, Meig., but differs, according to 

 Eondani, in the tarsal banding being less obvious. The fore and 

 mid tarsal claws of the $ are equal and toothed, not simple as in 

 Meigen's species. Length 5 to 9 mm. 



Habitat. — Italy. 



Note. — After reading the descriptions of the above, to say the least, 

 very closely-allied species, including Ficalbi's arguments as to their 

 distinctness, I am left with a strong suspicion that they should all 

 (penicillaris, pulchritarsis, 2a).di pnilchripalpis, Rond.) stand as varieties 

 of C. dorsalis, Meig. This in spite of differences in the tarsal claws* 

 which Coquellett may, after all, be right in regarding as variable. Ficalbi 

 argues, for example, that Rondani's p>^'>^icil^ciris cannot be dorsalis be- 

 cause Meigen describes the banding of the tarsal joints as basal, but as a 

 matter of fact, Meigen's types show that his description was erroneous, 

 as their tarsi are really banded exactly as described by Ficalbi for 

 penicillaris. 



63. CULEX PULCHRITARSIS, Eondani. 



(Sp. Ital. Culex, Boll. Soc. Ent. Ital. (1872), Rondani ; Yenti Sp. Zanzare, 

 Ital. p. 133 (1899), Ficalbi. 



Tarsi with the last joints entirely white, but with the others 

 nearly black, with broad snowy bands on all the articulations in- 

 cluding the tibio-tarsal. Thorax dark, with golden scales, but 

 unadorned. Abdomen chocolate-brown, with narrow straw- 

 coloured basal bands, which expand at the sides into lateral 

 spots with the apex behind. Tarsal claws of $ , symmetrical, 

 each with an extra tooth on the fore and mid legs, simple behind. 

 Wings, brindled with a mixture of nearly equal numbers of black 

 and of white scales. 



