288 Tachinidae. 



dull, with four narrow black stripes, the median abbreviated behind, 

 the lateral interrupted at the suture, or forming two spots. Scutellum 

 brownish or blackish, sometimes slightly reddish just at apex. Thorax 

 black-haired. Abdomen conical and somewhat oylindrical; it is grey 

 or brownish yellow pruinose, shifting with darker tessellations accord- 

 ing to view; second segment, hind margin of third and fourth and a 

 narrow middle line black or dark brown. Abdomen black-haired, 

 second segment with a pair of marginal bristles, third with a pair 

 of discai and marginal and fourth with a pair of discai and a row of 

 marginal; the bristles long but fme. Fifth sternite cleft to base. Geni- 

 talia small; upper forceps triangularly dilated at base and incised, 

 the apical part spine-shaped; arms of lower forceps elongated triangu- 

 lar, obtuse at apex, of the same length as the upper. Legs black, 

 tibiæ more or less reddish, especially hind tibiæ on the middle part. 

 Wings brownish tinged, most at base and anterior margin; veins 

 blackish. Squamulæ yellow. H alteres dark yellow. 



Female. Similar; frons of same breadth; antennæ with third joint 

 relatively shorter. Tibiæ and also apical part of femora generally paler. 



Length 4 to fully 6 mm. 



As seen, the species varies from yellowish brown to grey, and 

 scutellum may be quite dark, or a little pale at apex or quite red; 

 the latter variety I have not seen from Denmark; also the colour of 

 tibiæ varies not little. Specimens with two orbital bristles may occur. 

 ■ — I have examined the specimens of perturbans mentioned by Zetter- 

 stedt from Denmark. 



M. albicans is common in Denmark; at Copenhagen, Ordrup 

 Mose, Charlottenlund, Ermelund, Geel Skov, Ryget Skov, Boserup, 

 Brøde Skov near Lillerød, Tokkekøb Hegn, at Sjæl Sø, Grib Skov, 

 Tisvilde, Jægerspris, at Sorø; on Langeland at Lohals; in Jutland 

 at Sønderborg, Sottrup, Madeskov, Stenege north of Aarhus, and 

 on Bornholm at Sandvig; the dates are 2^/4 — ^/g. I have seen spec- 

 imens bred from Tryphosa dubitata and Cheimatobia brumata, one 

 emerging on ^"/g (Weis); formerly no host seems known. 



Geographical distribution: — Europe down into France; towards 

 the north to middle Sweden. 



60. Masicera Macq. 



Species of ratlier large size, black with greyish white pruinosity. 

 Head a little broader than thorax, a little convex behind and slightly 



