STBITTA. 



247 



upper side of tlie hind femora should theoretically be black, 

 though as a matter of fact it is sometimes pale narrowly at ba^e 

 or tip. or both. Two varieties of this species may therefore be 

 accepted, but intermediate forms occur; one such form, with the 

 abdominal spots united into two orange cross-bands, possessing 

 hind femora with the basal half below orange, the upper side 

 generally wholly black, or at most narrowly pale at base and tip ; 

 and a second, more nearly typical form, with the abdominal 

 spots separated almost as widely as in^?pieHs,and with practically 

 wholly black femora. 



As "to the svnonvmy of the species cited above, there seems no 

 reasonable doubt. "AValker's description of illucida has not a word 

 in it that will not apply to orientaUs, his remark about the two white 

 spots behind the vertex being almost conclusive proof of the 

 identity of tlie two species, as the whitish margin of the occiput 

 ceases on each side a little before the vertex and again :it the 

 vertex itself, tlms isolating the two small white spots to which he 

 •dludes *. S. amhoinensis difiers only in the anterior legs being 

 ringed, and as specimens referable to both pijvens and oruntahs 

 have sometimes obscure streaks or traces of such rings, Dolescha 1 s 

 species is probably one of these forms with legs more darkly 

 marked than usual. Dr. de Meijere sinks Senogaster lutescens as 

 synonymous, and both the description and figure given by 

 Doleschall support this view. 



In the Indian Museum are two c? 6 under the name ot 

 laticincta, Big., a MS. name only. It is not certain whether both 

 speciuipus were attributed by that author to this so-called species, 

 but the example bearing the label in his handwriting is the variety 

 of orientalis with cross-bands and partly orange hind femora, 

 whilst the other example is the variety with wholly black temora, 

 but possessing abdominal cross-hands as in the first variety. 

 The second specimen therefore partakes of both varietal tonus anu 

 serves to prove their specific unity. 



I have seen orientalis from Pusa, x. 1907 and :?0. ni. 1914; 

 Chapra, Bengal; Katihar ; Kushtea, Bengal; Sukna : Calcutta; 

 Port Canning ; Mergui. De Meijere records it from Singapore 

 and Java. 

 192. Syritta rufifacies, Bl<j. (PI. V, fig. 18.) 



8i/r{f.tu rufifacies, Hi-ot, Ann. Soc. Ent. Franc, (ti) iii, p. ^338 

 (LSS:',). 

 This so-calh'd species differs from pipiem and orientalis by the 

 hind femora being wholly orautre or brownish for from oue-tlnrd 

 to two-thirds of their length from the base, while the rest is bhick. 

 The abdominal spots on tlie 2nd and 3rd segm.Mits are i.ormally 

 united as is frequently tlie case in orientalis; but a median line 

 dividin'-them more or less distinctly into spots is not inlre.]uently 

 present, and when tlie orange colour of the hind femora is 



""* SubsequeiiTexamination of Walker's type, a $ , lias provtHl the identity 

 of il lucid a and orientalis. 



