174 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi. v. 



^c\\\r\., flavipennis Wied., etc., which occurs from Brazil to the tropical 

 portions of Mexico. 



Volucella esuriens, var. mexicana Mcq. 



Brownsville, April 7. Ramirez and San Miguel, Tamaulipas, on 

 the Matamoras and Monterey Railway, May loth; and same date num- 

 bers seen hovering constantly about a large wood pile of well-seasoned 

 mesquite near La Mesa, a wood stop west of Ramirez. They were 

 probably seeking an opportunity to oviposit where their grubs could find 

 longicorn larvse on hatching from the tgg. 



San Tomas, about seven miles down the river from Brownsville, 

 June 7. At this date this species was found extremely numerous in the 

 palmetto thicket at San Tomas, but always flying high up amongst the 

 tops of the palmetto (^Sabal mexicana) moving very swiftly, and in such 

 numbers making altogether a noise like a swarm of bees. 



Brownsville, June 23. Two $ 's and two 9 's taken on flowers of 

 Gaillardia pidchella Fong. Also taken up to July 14th. 



Point Isabel, Texas, on the coast, June 29. One $ taken on 

 flower of a composite near beach. This species ranges from the Texas 

 and Mexican coast line at sea level to the table lands of the Northwest, 

 reaching the top of San Francisco mountain in Arizona, nearly 13,000 

 ft. above the sea. It thus extends from the tropical to the boreal life- 

 zones, which is an exceptionally wide range and one not often attained. 



Eristalis furcatus Wied. 



One $ , Brownsville, June 24, on foliage. This species may be 

 distinguished by its velvety black vittate thorax. 



The present specimen has the spots on each side of second and third 

 segments very distinct, of good size, and yellow, with a faint tinge of 

 reddish brown on the hinder pair. There is no trace of the median 

 whitish spot near the hind margin of second segment. Schiner (Nov. 

 Reise, 362) has pointed out that this whitish spot is not visible in the $ ; 

 the third and fourth segments have each a pair of metallic shining spots, 

 separated by the median velvety black, which unites the anterior median 

 triangular velvety black spot with posterior marginal fascia of the same 

 color. The pale golden pile of frontal triangle is mixed with black pile 

 posteriorly. Antennae brownish yellow. Length, 9 mm. 



This is a tropical species, ranging from Rio Janeiro and Argentina 

 to tropical Mexico. It has been taken at an altitude of 6,000 feet at 

 Amula in the mountains of Guerrero (Williston, Biol. C, A. Dipt., 

 Ill, p. 62). 



