LEPTOMTDAS. 321 



segments with grey lialrs at sides. Genitalia small, partly with- 

 drawn, dark shining brown; ultimate portion with a row of light 

 brown scale-like spines on each side. Ler/s simple, no traces of 

 bristles or longer hairs, except two apical bristles at the tips of the 

 anterior tibiae (the hind tibife and tarsi are missing) ; dark brown, 

 with minute grey pubescence, which is longer on the coxae and 

 short and thick on the tibiae ; tarsal joints with black tips. 

 Win(/s uniformly pale yellow, veins darker yellow, costa black ; 

 bonier of wing without a single hair ; 3rd longitudinal vein with 

 a minute appendix at base of upper fork; alulae concolorous, bare; 

 tegulae very small, bright yellow with arery narrow fringe; halteres 

 blackish, stem brown. 



Letu/tJi, 16 mm. 



Described from a single $ in the Indian Museum from Sadiya, 

 Assam. 



The type is a $ , as noted on Bigot's MS. label, though in 

 describing it 1 stated it was probably a J . I placed indianus 

 in Leptomydas because Bigot's MS. label bore that name, but an 

 examination of the various genera shows that in this genus the 

 proboscis should be long. In indianus it only projects from 

 the mouth-opening for a short distance, the tips of the distinct 

 labella reaching as far forward as the 2nd antennal joint. The 

 only other genus to which it could be referred seems to be 

 Ecti/phns, Gerst., in which the proboscis is described as rudi- 

 mentary, barely projecting from the oral orifice. But the epistome 

 in Ectijphus is long and vertical, whereas in indianus the lower 

 part of the head does not descend below the level of the eyes. 

 The proboscis in the type projects upwards at an angle ; if directed 

 forwards, it would, of course, appear comparatively longer : Ger- 

 staecker's figure shows a proboscis reaching to half the length of 

 the antennae. However, the tip of the ahclomen bears the circlet 

 of spines, which is one character that differentiates Leptomydas 

 from Mydas, so in the circumstances the species is left here 

 temporarily. 



Family EMPID^.* 



Comparatively small-sized flies, generally bare or nearly so 

 except for a few bristles, of sombre colours ; t found chiefly in 

 Avoods and shady situations, many species frequenting the iieigh- 

 bourhood of water. In the tropics they occur mostly in localities 

 of some elevation. Systematically much more variety of struc- 

 ture is present than in the adjacent families of AsiliuyE and 



DOLICHOPODID.i:. 



* Some authors adopt the name Emi'Idid.e. The late G. H. Verrall say» 

 (Brit. Flies, t, p. 28): " JJr. A. W. Verrall is of opinioa that tlie word Empididce 

 IS pedantic, and instances Euelpidce." 



t The only exceptions are a lew metallic species from the tropical regions 

 of the IS^ew World. 



T 



