Stratiomyiidae. 31 



N. nigrinus is not very cornmon, thougli it is not unfrequent, 

 and it occurs all over Denmark; vicinity of Copenhagen, Lersø, Van- 

 gede Mose, Ordrup Mose, Dyrehaven, Esrom Sø, Lejre near Roskilde ; 

 on Lolland at Nørresø near Maribo; on Funen at Odense, Langensø 

 and Faaborg; in Jutland at Frederikshavn aud on Bornholm at Al- 

 linge. My dates are ^'/e— '/s. 



Geographical distribution: — Distributed in northern and middle 

 Europe from the northermost Scandinavia to southern Germany. It 

 also occurs in North America in Canada. 



3. Oxycera Meig. 



Middle sized or small species, chiefly of black colour with yellovir 

 or greenish designs, sometimes the ground colour greenish. Head 

 nearly semiglobular, as broad as or a little broader than thoi'ax. 

 Yowls not descending below the eyes, but horizontal or bending a 

 little upwards, thus the head slightly hoUowed beneath. Antennæ 

 inserted below the middle of the head, eight-jointed in all, the two 

 basal joints short, the four next forming a fusiform, annulated part, 

 the last two forming an indistinctly two-jointed arista, inserted dor- 

 sally on the last joint of the annulated part; the basal joint of the 

 arista is short, annuliform, and only to be seen microscopically. Eyes 

 hairy or bare, touching in the male, separated in the female; in the 

 male the upper facets are larger than the lovi^er. The oral cone is 

 short, and the proboscis is also short with a labrum of about the 

 same length and a very small hypopharynx; maxillæ are not found, 

 but small, two-jointed maxillary palpi are present; the labella are 

 broad. Tliorax is longer than broad, scutellum with two spines. Ab- 

 domen is short and broad, rounded, broader than thorax, consisting 

 of five segments. Wings with the cubital vein forked, from the discai 

 cell rise four veins, the first being the anterior branch of the postical 

 vein, thus there are five posterior cells ; the veins are often very indi- 

 stinct, especially the third, whicli may be nearly wanling; there is no 

 cross-vein between the discai cell and the postical vein. In rest the 

 wings lie parallel over the abdomen, one covering the other. 



The larvæ (O. trilineata) are elongated. somewhat flattened; the 

 body consists of twelve segments in all. The head is conical, with 

 small eye-spots in the anterior part, and in front of them small an- 

 tennæ. The segments are considerably broader than long, only the 

 last is a little longer than broad, rounded behind, with the anus as a 

 longitudinal split on the ventral side. On the dorsal surface the 

 thoracic segments bear some very short, thick bristles; the abdominal 

 segments, except the last, bear some curious, strong bristles; which 



