224 THE DIPTERA-BRACHYCERA OF TASMANIA, 



twice- the length of the first two together, and teiTninatecl 

 by a slender style, which is rather more than half its 

 leng-th. Thorax with anterior two-thirds velvet-black, pos- 

 terior third brown ; dorsal bristles very short, lateral 

 bristles of medium length ; scutellum brown, with four 

 black marginal bristles. Abdomen brownish-black, with 

 posterior margins of segments light brown ; sides w4th 

 both short and long weak, black bristles. Legs black, with 

 the posterior knees narrowly yellow ; anterior tibise with 

 long, black hairs at apex ; posterior tibise with short, wide- 

 ly-separated black bristles ; anterior tarsi with the first 

 joint enormously dilated. Wings hyaline, with a brown 

 stigma ; the mediastinal vein curved gently up t-o the 

 costa, which it joins; cubital fork long and narrow; anal 

 vein becoming evanescent at some distance from the wing- 

 margin; hal teres yellow. 



This species may be easily recognised by the enormously 

 dilated front tarsi of the male, and the velvet-black 

 thorax. It occurs abundantly skimming over the surface 

 of pools of water in the early spring time. My dates 

 range from September 1 to October 10. 



HlLAEA NUBILA, Sp. UOV. (Fig. 41d.) 



Thorax light brown, with two narrow, black longitud- 

 inal stripes ; legs brownish-black, with posterior knees con- 

 spicuously yellow ; wings tinged with brown, and with a 

 very conspicuous dark brown stigma; halteres pale whit- 

 ish-yellow. 



Lengih. Male, 3.5 mm.; female, 3 mm. 



Hab. Hob art. 



Male. Face and front brown ; vertex with black hairs. 

 Eyes separated. Proboscis stout, shorter than the height 

 of head. Antenna with the first and second joints very 

 short, the third slender, about twice as long as the first 

 two together, and terminated by a long style, which is 

 about equal to it in length. Thorax pale greyish-brown, 

 with two narrow black stripes, bounded outwardly by a 

 black spot on either side ; dorsal bristles of medium 

 length, lateral bristles long; scutellum pale grey, with four 

 black marginal bristles, the two terminal ones being, mucA 

 the longest. Abdomen deep brown, wath weak, black mar- 

 ginal bristles. Legs brownish-black, with posterior knees 

 conspicuously yellow; anterior tibise with a few long, very 

 widely-separated, black bristlesi on the inner side ; pos- 

 t-erior tibiae with a few short, black bristles ; anterior tarsi 

 with the first joint long and dilated, and bearing short, 

 black bristles on both sides. Winos brownish, with a ver\^ 



