I9I3-] E. Brunetti : New Indian Empidae. 17 



Two points now arise ; the first being that the present species 

 is remarkably akin to the European Pterospilus muscarms, Rond. , 

 the only points of difference being the brown thorax with two 

 dorsal more or less distinct yellowish stripes, and the brownish 

 yellow or entirely yellow scutellum. In muscarius the thorax is 

 blackish and the scutellum dark, but in the few specimens of 

 Bigot's species present in the collection considerable variability is 

 shown in various characters. The depth of colour of the thorax, 

 also the width and colour of the thoracic stripes, are pale yellow- 

 ish in one specimen and moderately dark brownish 5^ellow in others. 

 In one example the scutellum is yellow, in others dark brownish 

 yellow. The proboscis is brownish yellow, and in a European 

 example of muscarius (identified in Europe) it is also wholh'- 

 yellowish, though Schiner describes it as black. The colour of 

 the hind legs also varies considerably both in the ground colour 

 (yellowish to rather dark brown) and in the width and intensity 

 of the two hind femoral bands (basal and apical) ; the anterior legs 

 being however fairly uniform in colour, pale yellowish. 



Secondly the dividing line between Hybos and Synechcs appears 

 a very slender one, the distinction as given by Prof. Bezzi being 

 that in the former the 2nd longitudinal vein begins near the middle 

 of the wing, and in the latter near the base of the wing. 



My three new species niger, apicis and auripes, placed in 

 Hybos, might almost as well be placed in one genus as the other, 

 the origin of that vein occurring at an intermediate stage. 



Schiner' s distinction between Hybos and Pterospilus is that 

 in the former the anal cell is longer than the 2nd basal and that 

 it is rounded in front, the wings being clear ; whilst in 

 Pterospilus the anal cell is of equal length with the 2nd basal and 

 is pointed in front, the wings being marked. This applies well 

 enough regarding the single species muscarius, but the distinction 

 fails as applied to oriental species, since the length of the 2nd 

 basal and anal cells are so nearly equal in many species, referred 

 to both Hybos and Syneches ; moreover there is no fine distinction 

 in the distal extremity of the cell, which generally takes the form 

 of a well curved arc meeting a straight line. 



Again, the wing is only distinctly marked (apart from the 

 stigma, which may be conspicuous or weak, according to the 

 species) in bigoti (bicolor, Big.), and this is not a generic character. 



In my new species referred to Hybos the stigma is almost 

 absent in some and quite conspicuous in others. 



The degree of incrassation of the hind femora also varies 

 with the species ; likewise the size of the tooth-like processes on 

 their under side, and also the strength and length of the spines or 

 bristles placed there. 



Bigot's type cf is from Margherita. Assam, the Indian Museum 

 specimens are from Pallode, S. India, i5-xi-o8 [Annandale] and 

 Peradeniya, i-1911. I have several in my own collection from 

 Ceylon and Mr. Green has it from Kandy, v-1910. 



