﻿2 Atuials of iJie South Afriraii Mufseian. 



the British Museum, aud others from the Hungarian Museum at 

 Budapest. To these collections I have added the species received from 

 ilie Albany Museum, Grahamstown, and those sent me by Dr. Brauns 

 of Willowmore (Cape). This large amount of material enables me to 

 give hei'e a general review of the gi'oup. and to describe many new 

 genera and species. 



The collection contains a number of species determined by Bigot, 

 who had prepared a paper on the Diptera sent him from the Cape by 

 Dr. Periuguey.* Most of these species have never been published; but 

 many of them were evidently classified from Macquait's types in 

 Bigot's collection. For instance there is a type of Lasio2}roso].)a bigoti, 

 Macquart, 1855, described from Oceania, whicli is none other than 

 Corsomyra niijripes, as already stated by Schiner, who had received 

 the species from Macquart himself ; this important synonymy has not 

 been as yet recorded iu the catalogues. 



The Bombyliid Fauna of South Africa, as compared with that of 

 the remainder of the Ethiopian region, shows some pecidiar characters, 

 which make it at once recognisable. 



Firstly there is a large number of purely endemic genera, such as 

 Adelidea, Grocidiinn, Nomalonia,Périuijiieyiinyia, and some new ones — 

 Sosiomyia, Oniromyia, Pseiidempis and Pteranlax. But the main 

 characteristic is the presence of the genera Corsontyra and Callyn- 

 tliropJiora, which, witli their now known 10 species, are exclusively 

 South African ; they represent certainly an endemic line of develop- 

 ment which is no doubt adapted to some special characters of endemic 

 flowers, to whicli they are adapted for pollination, as shown by their 

 extraordinary facial brush. Very characteristic among the important 

 genera is the great number of the species of Bombylins — a genus which 

 is most sparingly represented in Central Africa ; eminently peculiar 

 are some groups of species, like that of the allies of Bombylins 

 micans, and that of B. lateralis and bivlttatiis. The related genera 

 Systoechiis, Anastoechvs and Dlschistns comprise also characteristic 

 species, chiefly those oï the two first-named genera, which are very 

 close to those of the group of Bombylins micans. Lomatia has a good 

 series of peculiar forms, very often remarkable for their great size. 

 In the genera Anilirax aud Spongostylimi peculiar specific forms are 

 scarce, and so are likewise those included in the genera Thyridanthrax, 

 Villa and Litorrhynchns. Against this a great number of characteristic 

 species is to lie found in Exoprosopa, some subgenera of which, like 

 Metapeida and Acrodisca, and also groups, like those of heros, 

 senicnliis, capensis, etc., are exclusively or pre-eminently South 



* Quoted by Bigot liimsi'lf in 'Ann. Soc. Eut. France,' 4, xi, 1S92, ]). {ill. 



