232 sippniD.i:. 



Hind femora oranjife ; extreme tips black, and 

 a median black broad ring, sometimes in- 

 complete on inner and under side: antennol 

 prominence longer; thorax with two Aery 

 distinct stripes of golden pubescence ; less 

 robust species ; abdomen blackish-ajueous 

 with dull steel tinge . .- histriata, Brun., p. 238. 



6. Thorax without trace of dorsal stripes of 



whitish or yellowish pubescence; Cbind 

 tibiae bright jellow on more than basal 



half) mirsei, sp. n., p. 240. 



Thorax with two obvious dorsal stripes of 

 pale pubescence, always visible from 

 behind 7. 



7. Body mainly cupreous, thorax distinctly so ; 



2nd and 3rd abdominal segments shining 



brownish-orange, 4th aeneous ; (hind tibiae [p. 239. 



very curved) mironitens, Brun., 



Body black, with or without a deep blue or 

 violet tinge 8. [p. 240. 



8. Head not descending below eyes in profile . carhonaria, sp. n., 

 Head very distinctly descending below eyes 



in profile 9. 



9. Length 10 mm. ; hind femora normal .... ciiprina, Big., p. 241. 

 Length 15 mm. ; hind femora laterally com- 

 pressed on apical half peniciUata^ sp. n., p. 242. 



One other species, cequalis, Walk. (p. 243), requires confirmation 

 as Indian. It was described originally from tlie " East Indies." 

 M. o'tJiusa, Walk., is a Syrphine, and as the abdomen was missing 

 at the time o£ description the name may well be dropped. 



178. Xylota dimidiata, sp. nov. 



2 . Hmd : frons at vertex one-fifth tiie width of the head, 

 widening gradually to nearly one-third at level of antennae; aeneous 

 with a slight greeji and cupreous tinge and short sparse pale 

 yellow pubescence. Aiitennal prominence black, extreme tip 

 orange ; antennae black, base of 3rd joint narrowly, and the arista, 

 orange. Face yellowish, blackish along eye-margins with a white 

 shimmer ; lower part of head and the proboscis black ; occiput 

 black, margin grey-tomentose, practically destitute of pubescence. 

 Thorax dull black, closely punctate, with a slight violet tinge ; a 

 whitish-tomentose, shorr, elongate spot on anterior margin, placed 

 on inner side of each humerus. Suture distinct, though not com- 

 plete, with short \^■llite pubescence at ends and yellow pubescence 

 towards centre, where it spreads out a little but is sharply 

 interrupted in the median line. Sides of thorax dull blackish ; a 

 little white tomentum on sternopleuras. Scutellum dull black. 

 Pubescence of thorax and scutellum black, nucroscopic. Abdomen 

 shining cupreous with soft, very short, white pubescence, which is 

 most obvious on 4th segment and at sides of abdomen ; traces o£ a 

 violet transverse band behind middle of 3rd segment; venter 



