254 NOTES. 



collection; it agrees witli the specimen from Florida in the M. C. Z. 

 Is it really a distinct species? 



2-j4. The history of this genus is as follows: 



Sphecomyia. Latreille, P'amilles naturelles dii Brgne animal (1825), 

 contains the name without any definition The definition appeared in 

 the Dictionnaire classique d'histoire naturelle (by Rey and Gravier, 

 publisher?, in Paris), Vol. XV, p. 545 (1829), as ioilows: 



Sphecomyia. Genre d'insectes de I'ordre des dipteres, etahli sur une 

 seule espece, rapporte de la Caroline par Bosc et tres voisine de celui 

 de Chrijaotoxe, mais tres distinct par un carartere unique dans cet ordre 

 d'insectes, celui, d'avoir la sole des antennes inseree sur le i^econd article; 

 cet article, ainsi que le precedent est long, presque cylindrique; le troi- 

 sieme ou dernier, est boaucoup plus court. La soie est simple. Ce genre 

 a ete indique pour la premiere fois dans notre ouvrages sur les families 

 naturelles du regne animal, mais sans signalement. L'espece qui lui 

 a servi the type sera consacree au celebre naturaliste precite. 



Latreille however never described this type of the genus, and it 

 "was Macquart who saw Bosc's and Latreille's original specimen in the 

 Museum at Paris, and averred that is was the same as Cliry'^otoxum 

 vittatum and Fsarus oriiatus of Wiedemann (Dipt. Exot. II, 2, p. 18, 

 1841). 



Latreille's statement that the arista is inserted on the second 

 antennal joint is, of course, erroneous. JNIacquart further mentions, 1, c, 

 that in the Berlin Museum this genus figures under the collection-name 

 of Epoi:)ter. Gorski, in his Analecta ad Entomographiam, etc., 1852, 

 proposes the generic name Tyrciihauf^ici, for the European species of the 

 same genus. It occurs only in Eastern Europe (Sweden, Norway, Fin- 

 land, Lithuania), and is very like the North American species. Wahl- 

 berg Ofvers. Vetensk. Acad. Forhandl., 1854, p. 155) gives a detailed 

 description of it. 



Mr. V, von Roeder, to whom I sent an american specimen of 

 S. vitteda, compared it to the eu opean S. vespiformis. He found only 

 very slight differences, which would hardly justify a separation; his 

 specimen of vcspiformis (from Finland), has the yellow stripe on the 

 pleura interrupted, which is not the case in the american *S'. vitteda; 

 the black cross -bands of the abdominal segments were broader in 

 vcspiformis, which, according to Mr. v. Roeder may be explained by the 

 abdomen of his specimen being more drawn out. The figure, given by 

 Gorski, certainly looks exactly like S. vittata. Still, Dr. Loew, if I 

 recollect right, considered them as different species. 



255. Mixtemyia ephippium 0. Sacken, Bull. Buff. Soc. 1. c. $. 



Face yellow, with a brown stiipe in the middle, which does not 

 quite reach the antennae; the latter brown; second joint almost black; 

 triangle of the vertex dark brown. Thorax dark brown; a brownish-yellow 

 angular line runs from the scutclliim, above the root of the wings, 

 turning inside to follow the thoracic transverse suture and stopping 

 before meeting the corresponding line on the other side; a less distinct 

 angular line, on the anterior jiart of the thorax, begins on each side, 



