224 ' Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. III. 



and form a circlet at the tibiae tips; tarsi black, with very short 

 pubescence and bristles. 



Wings very pale brown up to just beyond the middle where 

 the colour fades away. Halteres creamy yellow. 



Described from a unique specimen in perfect condition in the 

 Indian Museum collection, from Calcutta, taken i-vi-09, 



iV.B.— This species does not quite fall naturally into any of 

 ni}' temporary divisions of this genus, as the darkening of the 

 wing does not partake of the usual oblique form ; the coloration 

 extending over the whole basal half of the wing. 



Bombylius scintillans, mihi, sp. nov. 



& . South India. Long. 5 mm. without proboscis, which 

 measures 3 mm. 



Head nearly as broad as thorax, black ; eyes barely contiguous, 

 but for about half the distance from the vertex to the antennae ; 

 facets divided horizontall}^, those of upper half of e3'e much 

 larger. Vertex distinct, ocelli red. Antennae and proboscis entirely 

 black, the former with microscopic white hairs on 3rd joint seen 

 under a microscope. Bushy long black hair at the base of the 

 antennae, on the face and on under side of head. Some elongated 

 silvery white scales in a row across the frons just above the antennae, 

 and more numerous ones in a small patch of them on each side 

 of the face. The surface of the face itself is silvery white with a 

 faint bluish shimmer when seen in certain directions. Back of head 

 blackish, covered on upper part with bushy bright yellow hair, 

 and on lower part with long black hair. 



Thorax. — Surface deep velvet-black, with some black hairs at 

 the sides and round the bases of the wings. The anterior part of 

 the dorsum with bright yellowish hairs. (The surface is denuded 

 posteriorly, but bears a few white scales with which it may nor- 

 mally be covered, but which may have accidentally come from the 

 abdomen.) Scutellum black. 



Abdomen dull shining black, bare of hairs on dorsum; a few 

 at sides and on the wholly black belly. A thick row of silvery 

 white scales at the posterior border of each segment, and distri- 

 buted over the surface ; in perfect specimens the dorsum of the 

 whole abdomen is probably covered with them. 



Legs black, with minute bristly pubescence on tarsi ; middle 

 femora with soft black hairs below ; hind femora with several 

 spin}^ bristles below ; posterior tibiae with numerous bristles. 



Wings deep smoky brown, nearl}'- black at ba^.e and on basal 

 part of costa ; posterior border paler ; a blackish spot on upper 

 angle of 2nd basal cell. Halteres black. 



Described from a unique a" in perfect preservation (except for 

 some denudation of the thorax and abdomen) in the Indian 

 Museum, captured by Dr. Annandale at Kulattupuzha, at the 

 western base of* the Western Ghats (Travancore, South India), 

 i9-xi-o8. 



