678 ASILIDtE 



in conjunction with the eighth abdominal segment as both are shining black 

 and very much compressed, rather longer than the two preceding segments 

 together ; upi^er end piece not half so long as the basal piece, and both 

 bearing very sparse pale hairs ; end lamellas elongate and almost oblong, quite 

 free and bearing more numerous pale hairs. 



Legs with the bristles slightly more numerous, there being usually three 

 antero-ventral on the hind tibiie, and about six antero-ventral on the hind 

 femora. 



Length about 12 mm. 



This species may be easily distinguished from all known species (unless 

 M. calceatus Meig. be distinct) by the peculiar two-horned process from the 

 eighth ventral segment of the male ; Loew in 1849 dealt exhaustively 

 with all the varieties which he could distinguish and gave details of their 

 local distribution over Europe, and doubtfully came to the opinion that 

 3f. calceatus might be distinguished by its more yellowish grey colour and 

 its paler face-beard and general pubescence. Loew also stated that in 

 dark specimens a large amount of the usual pale pubescence on the legs 

 and especially of the femora becomes black, but I have observed but little 

 variation in our British specimens except in size and in the coloration of 

 the legs as mentioned in the foregoing description and in the two extreme 

 forms mentioned which were taken at the same place and time (Chippenham 

 Fen, August 22, 1892). It is not likely to be confounded with the only 

 other British species of the genus, as 31. rusticus is larger and has far more 

 numerous pale bristles on the body and legs, while the legs have only 

 the extreme base of the tibiae reddish, and in the male the process from 

 the eighth ventral segment is much more simple. Epitriptus cingulatus is 

 more likely to be mistaken for it because of the somewhat similar coloring 

 of the legs, but may be distinguished by its smaller size, yellower appear- 

 ance, more pale haired frons, and simple eighth ventral segment of the 

 male. 



3L atricapillus is one of the commonest species of the Asilincc in the 

 southern half of England as I have met with it in numerous localities 

 from Cornwall to the Midlands, but the most northerly records I know are 

 the Forest of Dean, Painswick, Stokenchurch, Tarrington, Wyre Forest, 

 Sutton Coldfield, and Dolgelly (in all of which localities I believe it 

 is uncommon), while it is fairly common in Cambridgeshire. Colonel 

 Yerbury once took a female in the New Forest preying upon a male 

 Chrysops ccecutiens. My records extend from June 7 to September 30. 

 It is common over all North and Central Europe, and is not uncommon 

 in the Alps, but that seems to be almost its southern limit. 



8. NEOITAMUS. 



Neoitairms Osten Sacken, Cat. Dipt. N. Amer., ed. ii., 82 (1878). 

 Itamus Loew, Linn. Ent., iv., 84 (1849), nee Schmidt-Goebel (1846). 



Blackish grey flies of moderate or rather large size, which 

 have the tibiae conspicuously clear orange without any striping, 

 banding, or even dusting. Ovipositor very long. 



Head with the usual pubescence and bristles ; face unusually narrow ; facial 

 knob occupying the lower part of the face so that the long and strong face-beard 



