MALLOTA POSTICATA : ITS DESCRIPTION. 215 



between the tubercles are transverse rows of bristles, and outside of the 

 tubercles are longitudinal rows, which evidently are of service in loco- 

 motion. The body-portion of the puparium is flattened beneath and 

 rounded above. The respiratory horns as figured, are somewhat fore- 

 shortened, and are not, therefore, shown in their full length. 



The Fly. 



The flies emerged, in a warm room, on February 27th and March 1st. 

 Fig. 64 represents the male, in twice its natural size. The wings are 

 transparent, without spots. The body is black ; the thorax is covered 

 with yellow hairs, which are sparsely distributed centrally; the first 

 (basal) segment has similar hairs on its sides and base. The female 

 differs in having the thorax, entire basal segment, and base of second 

 entirely covered with yellow hairs, and a small brown spot* on the an- 

 terior central portion of the 

 wing. Wegive herewith Say's 

 description of it, as M.hardn: 



Body black ; hypostonia with 

 silvery bairs aud longitudinal, 

 polished, naked line ; antennw 

 piceous ; front covered by yel- 

 low hair; thorax densely covered 

 by yellow hair, black in the mid- 

 dle ; scutcl piceous covered by 

 yi'Uow hair; wings with a large 

 fuscous spot on the middle, obso- Fig. 64.-Mallota posticata; twice the natural size, 

 lete in the male ; poisers piceous; tergum black, covered by black hairs ; basal seg- 

 ment and second segment at base covered by yellow hairs ; feet hairy; tarsi pice- 

 ous ; posterior thighs of the male much thickened and with their tibiae arquated. 



Length 3-5 of an inch. Inhab. Indiana. 



Dr. Packard, represents the fly as a common species and " frequently 

 met with." I have never taken it abroad. Dr. S. W. Williston, of 

 New Haven, has found it rather common in Connecticut, in the montli 

 of June, about the blossoms of blackberry and dogwood, in company 

 with M. cimUciformis {=M. posticata of Osten Sacken's Catalogue), 

 He had also received it from Canada and Kansas. Localities given for 

 it {}f. harda) by Baron Osten Sacken, are Catskill, N. Y. , Massachu- 

 setts, and the White Mountains, N. H. 



My specimens were determined by Mr. E, Burgess, as M. bnrda, by 

 comparison with the original types of Say, preserved in the Harris 

 collection, in the Museum of the Boston Society of Natural History. 



*Osteu Siickcn's note, No. 226, on page 249 of the Catalogue of Diptera, in which he 

 states that " the brown spot on the wings of the females mentioned in Say's description 

 does not exist in the real female of M. tarda," might convey the impression of the entire 

 absence of a spot. vSay's mention is that of a large fuscous spot. The spot is small and 

 obscure, and is not a conspicuous feature. 



