18il2.j • 153 



nicnts are all smooth, without either discal or apical setse, except on the end of the 

 fourth ; wings with the apical cross vein curved with a short appendix, outer cross 

 vein straight ; legs black, with the excej^tion of the tarsi, which are testaceous or 

 rufous, and also the knees and inner sides of the fore tibia- in the male. This little 

 species (only 4 — 5 mm. in length) seems very rare. I captured a single specimen of 

 both male and female near Bicester, Oxon, in July, 1883. 



There is very little doubt but that this is the same as the 31. rufitarsis of 

 Meigen, but the facial setse are so small that he must have overlooked them, and, 

 therefore, placed the species in the genus Mas leer a. In all the principal characters 

 it is a Metopia, but very feebly ciliated. 



M. roEFicuLJG, Newport.* 



Mr. G-eorge Newport discovered a Tachinid which infests the common earwig. 

 lie gives an interesting account of its life-history during its larval and pupal statesf, 

 tracing it up to the development of the imago, which he says appears to belong to 

 the genus Metopia of Meigen. His description of the fly (which I give below) is 

 so vague and short however, that I do not think it is rightly placed in this genus, 

 and it is doubtful whether any specimens are preserved. 



" Metopia forficuJce, cinerea, oculis testaceis, antennis nigris, corpore pedi- 

 busque pilis longis nigris vestitis ; thoracis pilis lineas 6 lineas longitudinales effor- 

 mantibus, scutello alarum basi feraoribusque ferrugineis. 



" Musca domestica aliquanto minor ; forficidas prope Londinum infestat." 



(To he continued), f f^ 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES EROM TASMANIA. 

 BY JAMES J. WALKER, R.N., E.L.S. 



At the conclusion of her first surveying season, H.M.S. "Penguin" 

 arrived at Hobart, Tasmania, on December 13th, 1890, to refit, and 

 work up the chart of that part of the north-west Australian coast on 

 which she had been employed. Every one on board was heartily glad 

 to enjoy the comfort and civilization of one of the most charming 

 little towns in the Southern Hemisphere, in exchange for the solitude 

 of the dreary and barren shores peopled only by a few wandering and 

 implacably hostile savages, where we had spent the last six mouths ; 

 and our stay of thirteen weeks was regarded as only too brief by all 

 of us. My opportunities for entomological work at Hobart w^ere 

 fairly ample, and I was also enabled, in February and March, to make 

 two very pleasant excursions farther afield. One of these was to 

 Pranklin, a township in the midst of a fine forest district, about 30 

 miles distant from Hobart on the Huon Eiver, where I enjoyed the 



* Schiner, by mistake, refers this species to Mr. E. Newman, and Mr, Verrall does the same 

 ill his list. 



t Pioc. Limi. Soc, vol. ii, pp. 217--8, June 7th, 1853. 



