1905.] 243 



l.-H. CILIATA, Fab. Male: TSyes dernteJy hairy ; arista distinctly pubescent 

 on basal half or two-thirds. Thorax shinincj black with a slight steely tinge ; 

 shoulders when seen from behind conspicuously silvery-ivhite. Abdomen shining 

 blue-black with three interrupted transverse bands of whitish tomentum. Front 

 tibiae with a postero-ventral bristle at one-third from apex ; middle femora with a 

 pair of very characleristic curved and upwardly directed apical dorsal bristles, 

 which are nearly half the length of the tibia and closely united with one another 

 except for a short distance at their base ; hind tibise with a ventral tuft of fine hairs 

 at the middle, which run out, but gradually diminish in length, to the apex. Ca- 

 lyptra conspicuous, whitish ; halteres brownish-yellow. Size, 7—8 mm. 



Female : Eyes practically bare ; frons one-third of width of head, deep black, 

 orbits slightly shining above, highly polished near antennae, ocellar triangle large 

 and highly polished. Thorax blue-black, shining ; shoulders, and an indication of 

 a central stripe in front, ^/i.s/<?7i«»_5' white. Abdomen blue-black, shining and uni- 

 colorous, with a slight dusting on last segment. Front tibiie with a small hut 

 distinct median postero-ventral bristle ; middle femora with a decided bend upwards 

 in apical third ; hind tibiiB with one dorsal, two antero-dorsal, and three to four 

 antero-ventral bristles in apical half. 



The female of this species may be distinguished from that of 

 Opliyra leucosfoma, Wied., which it much resembles, by its much 

 broader frous, its glistening white shoulders, its tnuch more silvery 

 cheeks, and the tomentum on the last abdominal segment. 



Apparently common and widely distributed. I have seen speci- 

 mens from many localities, ranging from Devonshire and the New 

 Forest north to Arran and Edinburgh, also in Ireland. Mr. Verrall 

 reports it also from Cornwall, Sussex, and Aberdeen. The dates 

 range from June 4th to October 5th. 



2. — H. OCCULTA, Mg. Male: Eyes thickly haired ; arista slightly pubescent 

 in basal half. Thorax dull black, -v/hen seen from behind with a very slight greyish 

 tomentum, which leaves three broad but very indistinct black stripes ; shoulders 

 cinereous. Abdomen bluish-cinereous, with a distinct almost continuous dorsal stripe 

 and the basal half of 1st segment black ; a transverse brownish band at bases of 

 3rd and 4th segments. Hind femora with a strong ventral spine near base ; hind 

 tibise with a complete antero-dorsal row of long, fine hairs, which gradually diminish 

 in length as they approach the apex, a similar row on the apical half of anterior sur- 

 face, and a sharply defined tuft on ventral surface at about one-third from apex. 

 Wings brownish-hyaline, halteres blackish-brown. Size, 4^ — 5^ mm. 



Female : Eyes with a few short scattered hairs ; frons dull deep black ; ocellar 

 triangle black and highly polished. Thorax black, slightly shining and with a 

 slight greyish tomentum ; shoulders cinereous. Abdomen pointed at apex, black 

 and slightly shining, with a slight greyish tomentum, which is thicker on the last 

 segment. Front tihix hare, except for the usual subapical dorsal bristle. Hind 

 tibise loith two {rarely three) dorsal bristles, viz., a small one near apex, a large one 

 at one-third from apex, and sometimes a small one near middle, one anterior post- 

 median bristle, and two to three antero-ventral ones in apical half. 



