1909.] 243 



Angusta. — Oue of our commonest species, at any rate in Here- 

 fordshire, and found in all sorts of places and at all times from spring 

 to autumn. 



Hirtiventris. — Of this curious little species, remarkable for its 

 hairy abdomen and strangely formed hind tibi®, only a single example, 

 a male, has been taken, the date and locality being CoMborough Park 

 .12/6/OG. Though on the look out for it since, T have not come across 

 another. The female would be likely to be passed over, as it would 

 want the two remarkable characters of the male, and would probably 

 resemble very closely an under-sized female of pulicaria. 



Rirftpex. — k. well-known and in the male easily recognised species, 

 which needs little comment. It illustrates, however, one of those 

 differences in the venation, which is seen in many species and seems 

 to be characteristic of sex, and which consists in the angle at the 

 forking of 2nd thick vein being rather larger in the male than in the 

 female. 



Derasa. — A moderately common autumnal species, occurring both 

 indoors and out. The male is known from all other species but hirti- 

 ventris by the peculiar form of the hind tibise, and from that species 

 by the absence of the abdominal hairs. The female is most likely to 

 be confounded with the same sex of rufipes and pulicaria, and from 

 both may be best distinguished by the presence of the long loose hairs 

 on the under-side of the hind femora ; in my experience this is the 

 only species in the group in which the hairs are specially developed. 



Pulica7'ia, Fal. — In identifying our insect with the true pulicaria, 

 I am glad to have my opinion confirmed by Mr. Collin, who writes of 

 Fallen's type as follows : — " In Fallen's Collection under P. pulicaria 

 are two specimens, one (labelled (?) is a female, the costa extending 

 slightly beyond the middle of wing, I about equal to 2 and 3, fork 

 wide open, costal ciliation long, 1st thin vein starts about opposite 

 fork but does not begin to bend down till opposite middle of fork 

 then curves somewhat decidedly and finishes (still slightly curving) 

 just before tip of wdng, mesopleuroB bare, scutellum with 2 bristles, 

 frontal bristles normal, lower pair of supra-anteunal bristles not 

 quite so large as upper and placed in a line beneath them (not closer 

 together) frons somewhat shining, not grey ; legs all pale, ciliation on 

 hind tibiae numerous (14 — 16) but very short and fine. Another 

 female in bad condition is probably the same species. This would 

 appear to confirm you in your idea of pulicaria^ Under sulpleuralis 



y 3 



