Platychirus. 199 



in grass and on flowers in fens and meadows, I iiave often taken it 

 on salt marshes. I possess a female specimen with almost quite black 

 abdomen. 



Geographical distribution:— All Europe, towards the north to 

 Sweden, and in Finland. 



2, P. tarsalis Schumin. 



1836. Schumni. Arb. schles. Gesell. 84 (Syrphus). — 1901, Verr. Brit. 

 Fl. VIII, 268, 2, figs. 231—232. — 1907. Kat. palaarkt. Dipt. III, 46. — 

 P. ciliger Loew, 1856. Neue Beitr. IV, 44, 36. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 293. 



Male. Frons a little brownish yellow pruinose; vertex and frons 

 black-haired. Epistoma black, yellowish pruinose, with erect, pale 

 hairs, the central knob shining and the shining space pro- 

 duced somewhat upwards. The lower part of epistoma 

 with the central knob rather protruding, but not so much 

 as in manicatus, and the upper mouth edge scarcely more 

 protruding than the knob; the epistoma somewhat keel- 

 shaped in the middle and more parallel-sided than in 

 manicatus. Occiput grey pruinose, with yellowish hairs, 

 above some long, black hairs, Antennæ small, black. 

 Thorax dark æneous or greenish, shining; it is somewhat 

 thinly clothed with longish, yellowish hairs among which 

 some few black may be seen; the hairs are longest on 

 the posterior part and scutellum. Pleura pale-haired. 

 Abdomen duU black or brownish black, the yellow spots 

 about as in manicatus, but those on third and fourth seg- 

 ments smaller, stretching less backwards, only over about 

 the anterior two thirds of the segments; fifth segment 

 indefmitely reddish at the base. Pubescence pale with 

 some black hairs on the middle. Venter yellowish, blackish 

 towards the end, with long, pale hairs, short on fourth 

 segment. Legs blackish with the anterior knees broadly 

 and the hind knees narrowly yellow as in manicatus; 

 middle tarsi pale with the apical joints more darkened. Fig. 100. 

 Front tibiæ practically not dilated, white at apex ; the P- tarsalis ,^, 

 two first tarsal joints forming an oval disc as in manicatus, "^^*^ ^''°"*^ ^^^ 

 the disc more emphatically oval as the second joint is '°!!^ ^n " 

 broader but a little shorter than in manicatus; the disc is 

 white with indistinct obscure markings below, the third joint white with 

 dark apex; the apical joints brownish, the fiflh palest. Anterior 

 trochanters with a bruGh of short spines below, rather inconsplcuous 



