BY ARTHUR WHITE. 45 



marked by a minute veinlet inside the cell ; tlie third 

 posterior vein consists of a short stump iu some specimens, 

 whilst in others it is altogether wanting. 



This interesting species was discovered hy Mr. G. H. 

 Hardy, who has been good enough to send me thirteen 

 specimens for examination ; these are all females. iVIr. 

 Hardy writes me concerning its habits as follows: "It 

 occurs locally in swarms, like mosquitos, which, when flying 

 around one, it is easily mistaken for. I came across but one 

 patcli of it, but over a very larsje area, as I walked through 

 about two miles of it. 1 could observe no peculiarity that 

 would give a clue to type of locality, as it occurred about 

 scrub, amongst grass-trees, over rocky areis, and always in 

 swarms, above 200 feet to 1,000 feet above sea level." Mr. 

 Hardy further states that he received a bite from one of the 

 insects, and that an intelligent boy informed him that the 

 species was common at Wedge Bay and "nipped." 



The insects were met with on April 12 ; it would therefore 

 appear to be an autumn s{)ecies. 



4 Clesthentia, G-en. 



nov. 



Small black flies having the thoi-ax greatly arched. 

 Antennae with the first two joints extremely small, the third 

 large, and provided with a short style; wmgs with both the 

 fourth posterior and anal cells closed. 



Fig. 3. Wing of Clesihentia aherrans. 

 Head set low down in front of the greatly arched thorax, 

 and about the same breadth as the thorax. Eyes separated 

 in both sexes. Antennae with tlie first and secou(l joints 

 extremely small, the third about three times as broad as the 

 second, and three times as long as the first and second 

 together, and provided with a short style, which is barely half 

 the length of the third joint. Thorax greatly arched ; sides 

 and scutellum with a iiivj hairs. Abdomen tapering, almost 

 bai'e. Legs rather short, all tibiae with, apparently, two 

 spurs ; but those on the anterior and middle legs are very 

 minute and difficult to distinguish; tibiae with also a few 

 small bristles. Wings small ; radial vein straight, and 

 extending well beyond the stigma; cubital fork narrow, 



