442 



MAJOR E. E. AUSTEN. 



me at dawn in my cottage. On three mornings I was awakened about day-break 

 by attacks by one or more of these flies, which I did not see on any other occasion." 

 Tlie species described above is alHed to Tahanus manipurensis, Ric, represented 

 in the British Museum (Natural History), by the holotype ? from Ukhrul, Manipur, alt. 

 6,400 ft. {Rev. W. Pettigrew). Although not unlike T. manipurensis in general 

 appearance, T. praematurus is distinguishable, inter alia, in the $ sex by the front 

 being narrower below ; by the expanded portion of the third segment of the antenna 

 being much shorter, and having the angle on its upper border much more strongly 

 developed ; by the tibiae being uniformly blackish-brown or black instead of con- 

 spicuously creamy-white or cream-buff except at the distal extremity and extreme 

 base ; and by the greater breadth of the last three joints of the front tarsi. 



5. Tabanus finalis, Walk. 



Tahanus apicalis, Walk., List. Dipt. Ins. in coll. Brit. Mus., i, p. 176 (1848). — 

 Nomen bis ledum. 



Tabanus finalis, Walk., op. cit., v. Suppl. i, p. 258 (1854). 



Although this species is not included in Dr. Barnes's collection, the British Museum 

 (Natural History) possesses a single $ of it taken in Siam (precise locahty uncertain), 

 3.ii.l914, " at light " {K. G. Gairdner). The provenance of the type (a ^) is unknown. 



Tabanus finalis is a fairly large (about 18 mm. long), blackish-brown insect of 

 striking appearance, recognisable by the presence of a large, cream-buff median 

 spot on each abdominal tergite from the third to the fifth, inclusive ; on the second 

 (visible) abdominal tergite there are three small pale spots in a transverse row, of 

 which the middle one is drab-coloured, while the two lateral ones are smoke-grey \ 

 the wings are infuscated, and the veins in the central area to a greater or less extent 

 have brownish borders. 



6. Tabanus rubicundulus, sp. n. (fig. 4). 



?.— Length (two specimens) 18 to 19 mm. ; width of head, 5-6 to 6 mm. ; width 

 of front at vertex 0-75 mm., between lower inner angles of eyes 0-4 mm. , length of 

 wing 16-25 to 17-2 mm. 



Fig. 4. Head of Tabanus rubicundulus, Austen, sp. n., 2 ; a, front view ; b, profile. 



Eyes bare ; a single elongate frontal callus in $ ; ground-colour of dorsum of body 

 chestnut-broK'n ; dorsum of abdomen with a median series of conspicuous, light buff 



