12 THE DIPTERA-BRACHYCEKA OF TASMANIA, 



bearing many white and a few black hairs. Front slightly 

 widened below, black, the upper two-thirds dusted with 

 grey, the lower third forming a shining callus, pubescence 

 very short and scanty. Palpi light brown. Antennae 

 with the first joint grey, the second grey or black, the 

 third black, the two first bearing shoi*t black hairs. Byefl 

 hairy. Thorax greyish-black, with two pale grcv stripes, 

 which are frequently indistinct, the anterior portion with 

 scattered black hairs, remainder almost bare. Abdomen 

 olive-black, with hindmargins of all segments light grey 

 or brown. Legs with femora dark brown ; tibia? olive- 

 brown with apex and tarsi black ; femora with many long 

 Avhite hairs and a few black ones ; hind tibia? with long 

 black hairs, which are long on the inner as well as the 

 outer side Wings clear, with the stigma usually indis- 

 tinct; cubital fork with a recurrent veinlet. 



Variation. Although the usual colouring of the thorax 

 is grey-black and the abdomen olive-black, I have one 

 specimen in which the thorax is olive-black and the abdo- 

 men brown; this specimen also has the frontal callus deep 

 brown instead of black. 



Male differs chiefly in appearance from the female in 

 having the eyes joined and densely hairy, the face covered 

 with dense • black hairs, the more hairy thorax, and in 

 the abdomen having the shoulders and hindmargin of the 

 second segment pale brown. 



This is the smallest species of Tabanus known to occur 

 in Tasmania; it may be readily recognized by its small 

 size and slender shape. From T. antecedent it may be fur- 

 ther distinguished (in the female) by the absence of the 

 long hairs on the vertex, which are characteristic of that 

 species, and from T. edentulus by the longer hairs of the 

 hind tibia?, which are long on the inner as well as the 

 outer side. 



T. imperfect us was described by Walker from "Aus- 

 tralia,'' the exact locality not being given. I have exam- 

 ined the type in the British Museum, and find that the 

 Tasmanian specimens agree with it in all particulars. 



This is the one Tasmanian species of Tabanus in which 

 the males are as commonly met with as the females. The 

 former, and sometimes also the latter, may be found 

 settled on sandy roads or warm hillsides; the females, 

 however, as a rule seem to prefer more shady situations ; 

 I have never known them to attack people in any way. 

 This species is by no means uncommon, though it seem* 

 to remain on the wing for only a short time ; my dates 

 range from January 24 to February 15. 



