278 ICn>'EUMONID.'E. 



Pohjfionum plants. This species was first bred bj' Ratzeburg 

 from the larv:i of some Syrphvs fly in Saxony; subsequently 

 Dr. Giraiid raised it (Ann. Soe. Ent. France, 1^77, p. 408) from 

 Syrplivs haUeahd^ and another species from Pipiza vociiluca ; and 

 its association with tliese flies, which prey n])()n AphibiDjE, was 

 suggested by Gravenliorst, avIio first took it among them. It Itas 

 been reported to liave been bred from the ])liytophagoiis beetle,. 

 Adimoma rnstica. Schall., and from Tortrh-cs^ but probably in 

 error. 



I have examined, in the British Museum, the type of Scolohates 

 vai'ipes, Smith, described from a single female captured by Prof.. 

 Hutton at Otago in New Zealand, and find that it is entirely 

 synonymous. Hudson (Entom. 1884, p. 171) records this species 

 as preying upon the larva? of SyrjjJms ortas, AYalk. : and this is 

 repeated by Smith (E. M. M. 1900, p. 161), who remarks upon 

 its frequency upon the castor-oil plant (liicinus communis), the 

 fluid of which it eagerly assimilates. For an account of its life- 

 history, cf. G. Y. Hudson, ' An Elementary Manual of New 

 Zealand Entomology,' London, 1892, p. 39, pi. iii, fig. 8, 



195. Bassus varicoxa, TJioms. 



Passns albosu/nafiis, vav. 1, Gravenhorst. Ichn. Eur. iii. 1829,. 

 p. 344 ( $)'('0 ; ^ai'- 3» Holmgren, Sv. Ak. Haudl. 1855, p. :',rA. 

 Bass7is raricQxa, Tlionison, Opusc. Ent. xiv, 1890, p. 1640 ( $ ). 



This species differs very little from B. multicolor, excepting in 

 coloration. The abdomen is entirely black, with, at niosr, the 

 incisures pale, the anterior or intermediate coxae are partly and 

 the whole of the hind coxie are black, the hind tibia? are broadly 

 white in the centre and quite black (with no rufescence) at both 

 extremities, and the epistoma is white-marked. 



Lenf/th 5 millim. 



It is a A'ery common Palsearctic species, closely allied to JL tri- 

 cinctus, Grav. (nemoralis, Holmg.), Mhicli differs in its entirely 

 pale coxa? and larger size. I have seen a specimen in the Oxford 

 Museum from WestMood's collection, whicli was captured lojig 

 ago in " India " by Capt. Boy's. 



196. Bassus tricinctus, Grav. 



liassK.i (tU)osii/n(ttus, var. 4, Gravoiiliorst. Iclni. Eur. iii, 1829^ 



p. 345 (J). 

 JB(()<sus fricinctiix. (Travenhorst, ojj. cif. p. 351 (cT) ; Morlev, Trans. 



Ent. Soc. Lond. Iy05, p. 425 (J?); r/". Brischke. Schr. Nat. 



Ges. Danz. 1878, p. 111. 

 Bassus Jlnmli>i('at tis, Zetterstedt (>iec Grav.), lus. Lapp, i, \). 378, 



excl. 2 et var. 

 Bassus nevioralis, Holmgren, Sv. Ak. Haudl. 1855, p. 354 ; "Nolleii* 



lioven, Pinac. pi. i. fig". 3 ; Thomson, Opusc. Ent. xiv, p. 1469 



A distinctly punctate species, with the abdomen not or obso- 



