April, 1873.] 253 



5. Stephus tittigee, Zett. — If distinct from the last species, is also 



British, as I refer to it two females caught by Dr. Bucliauan 

 White at Braemar in 1871, and a female by myself at Eannoch 

 in 1870. 



6. iSTEPHUS LATiFASCiATUS, Mcq.—Abbretiafus, Zett., must be added 



to the synonyms of this species?, but excisus, Zett., may be with- 

 drawn ; as, according to Loew, it is a distinct species. Under no 

 circumstances can the name affinis stand, as there is a prior 

 affinis of Say. 



7. Stephus baebipeons. Fall. — In my previous notes, 1 added to the 



British list Melanostoma harhifrons, on the authority of two ( (J ) 

 specimens belonging to Mr. B. Cooke; since then I have examined 

 a series of a Syrphus that I caught at Eannoch in 1870, w^hich I 

 considered to represent the Scceva arctica {$) and nitidula (?) 

 of Zetterstedt. I am, how^ever, informed by Loew that it is the 

 species known on the continent as Melanostoma harlifrons, Fall., 

 and that the species I had formerly thought harhifrons is new to 

 science. The species I caught at Eannoch is a true Si/rpJius, but 

 the epistoma of the male is very much darkened, so that some 

 specimens might readily be thought to belong to Melanostoma. It 

 belongs to the " umhellatarinji'' group, in which it is distinguished 

 by its darkened epistoma, which, however, is always luteous be- 

 tween the antennse, by its dark legs, and by the very small pair 

 of spots on the second abdominal segment. It is most allied to 

 Si/rjjJnis lasiophtJialmus and Melanostoma quadrimaculatiim (the 

 species I had previously considered M. harhifrons) ; but S. lasiopli- 

 thalmus has the eyes slightly hairy, the epistoma distinctly luteous 

 on the sides, the abdominal spots all larger, and the pubescence 

 on the breast-sides yellow instead of black, while M. quadri- 

 maculatuni has the eyes distinctly hairy, the epistoma quite black, 

 and the abdomen marked with only four spots in the male, and 

 unmarked in the female. Zetterstedt himself admits that his 

 S. nitidula is the female of his 8. harhifrons, and I think his S. 

 arctica must represent the form of the male that I have caught, 

 while his S. harhifrons would represent the more common form 

 on the continent, in which the basal pair of abdominal spots are 

 wanting. In opposition to this, however, Bonsdorff professes to 

 have caught both sexes of S. arcticus and harhifrons. The 

 species was one of the commonest at Eannoch. 



