346 CONOPIDyE, 



latter black. Winr/s practically clear ; anterior cross-vein almost 

 e.xactly opposite tip of auxiliary vein and at uiiddle of discal cell. A 

 narrow greyish streak, having the appearance of the "vena spuria"' 

 ill Si'EPHii)^, runs from the anterior cross-vein nearly to the tip 

 of the discal cell, Halteres pale yellow. 



Length, 6-8 mm. 



Described from 8 c5" c? and 2 $ 5 in the British Museum and 

 in Col. Nurse's collection. Quetta, vi. J902; vii. 11)02 ; Deesa, 

 vii & xi. 1901 ; ii. 1900; xi. 1899 (iy^^e ?); xii. 1899 {type c? ) 

 (all A^urse). Types in British Museum. Easily distinguished 

 from all the other species by the wholly clear wings. 



Var. ceylonicus, nov. 



Centre of frons irregularly blackish, the small black lateral dots 

 more distinct. Dorsum of abdomen black, sides with traces of 

 dark brown ; abdomen distinctly more contracted biisally in cf 

 than in 5 '■> 2nd and 'dvd. segments in J with a yellow-dusted 

 baud; tip of abdomen yellow-dusted in c? , grey-dusted in $. 

 Tibiae a little blackish towards tips. "Wings darker grey, other- 

 wise the apparent "spurious" vein and other characters are as in 

 the normal form. 



Lengthy 1h-^'<i mm. 



One (S and one $, Perivipancheram, Ceylon, 21. i. 1892 ("a 

 few on hillside," Yerhury). In the British Museum. Though 

 these specimens are of considerably larger size, I am loth to 

 regard them as specificnlly distinct. The peculiar black spots on 

 the frons are a feature linking them to the normal form. 



269. Conops nigriventris, sp. nov. 



(S . Head orange-brown ; vertex occupied by a large, nearly 

 livid spot extending some distance over occiput ; a space above 

 base of antennae is almost raspberry-red, and this colour is some- 

 times continued do^n each side of the face; whole lower part of 

 head, seen from above, with shining pale golden reflections. 

 Antennte moderately dark orange-brown, 2nd joint twice as long 

 as ]st, 3rd joint vivid deep orange; proboscis black, brownish- 

 orange at base. Occiput brownish-yellow, except where the 

 vertical livid spot extends over it ; it has a little short black 

 pubescence. Thoraoi; orange-brown, scutellum a little paler, both 

 with very short, rather sparse, bristly, black pubescence ; humeri 

 obscurely vellovvish ; some stronger bristles on side margins of 

 dorsum between humeri and wing-base. Pleurae concolorous, 

 bare, except for several fairly strong bristles on sternopleura. 

 Ahdomen eXow^iiie club-shaped; after the transverse 1st segment, 

 it widens gradually from the base of the second segment to the 

 tip of the 3rd, thence gradually narrows to the obtusely rounded 

 apex. 2nd to 6th segments subequal, and (with 1st also) wholly 

 black; all entirely covei-ed with uniform, quite obvious, black 

 pubescence. Genitalia brownish-orange, the shield comparatively 



