232 Records of the Indian Museum. (VoL. XI, 
MALLOTA,. 
Mallota rufipes, Brun. 
Described from a unique @ (Rec. Ind. Mus., ix, 271, 1913) 
from Singla, Darjiling District, April 1913. 
Merodon ornatus, mihi, sp. nov. 
(Plate xin) -fig.-27), 
@ Western Himalayas. Long. I0 mm. 
Head.—Vertex wholly occupied by a moderately elevated 
aeneous black tubercle, bearing the three reddish ocelli. Frontal 
triangle small, black, with alittle yellowish grey tomentum. The 
eyes contiguous for barely one-third of their total height, as 
viewed from in front. Whole under side of head yellowish, with 
whitish reflections, except the projecting face, which is shining 
black: the oral margin very narrowly reddish brown. Antennae 
pale brownish yellow, the Ist joint the darkest, the 3rd with 
whitish dust and a pale yellowish, basal, bare arista. Proboscis 
blackish. Back of head aeneous black, the upper ocular orbit 
with short yellow hair, the outer and lower ocular orbits with 
whitish hair. 
Thorax.—Dorsum dull aeneous black, mainly covered with 
short yellowish hair, but which takes a golden brown hue where 
it forms two moderately broad dorsal stripes. The yellow hair is 
a little more prominent below the broadly whitish shoulders, 
behind the wings and on the entire hind margin of the concolo- 
rous aeneous scutellum. 
In an indistinct manner, the dorsum of the thorax bears 
three broad blackish stripes; a median one, and one on each side of 
it, well separated, commencing just behind the whitish shoulders 
and continued to the posterior margin, the median dark stripe 
attaining the anterior margin of the dorsum. 
Between these three indistinct dark stripes, the aeneous ground 
colour is more pronounced, and these spaces bear deeper golden 
brown hairs. Under side of thorax blackish, slightly aeneous, a 
patch of white hair between the anterior pairs of legs, immedi- 
ately below the end of the transverse suture; and a little white 
hair generally distributed over the ventral surface. 
Abdomen.—Black, moderately shining, with an aeneous tinge, 
which latter is most conspicuous on the unicolorous Ist segment ; 
the 2nd segment has a pair of large yellowish spots, separated by a 
moderately wide space, and enlarged laterally to the full length of 
the segment. A similar pair of spots on the 3rd segment, but nar- 
rower at the sides, the colour not there reaching the hind margin. 
he whole surface of the abdomen is covered with short bright 
yellow hairs. At the sides, the hair is more whitish, especially 
towards the base, where it is also longer. 
