igoy.] Records of tJij; Indian Museum. iQq 



tion whatever, whilst among the unnamed remainder some will in 

 all probability prove to be European also. Scatophaga stercoraria 

 ly., the very common dung fly of Europe and North America, is not 

 recorded from the East proper, yet it is as common at Mussoorie, 

 Darjiling and Simla as in accepted Palsearctic localities like Hong- 

 kong, Shanghai, Hankow and Japan, in all of which places I found 

 it as abundant as in Europe. 



I am hoping to make more extensive studies on the Diptero- 

 logical hill fauna of India at no distant date, but at present it seems 

 to me that at an altitude of 5,000 or 6,000 feet (almost certainly 

 at 7,000) the Dipterous fauna at least, is much more Palsearctic 

 than Oriental. 



The exact localities with altitudes and dates referred to in this 

 report are given first, to avoid repetition after the various species 

 mentioned. 



Simla, 7,000 feet, April 24th to 26th and May 4th to 8th. 

 Theog, 8,000 feet, April 27th and May ist to 3rd. 

 Matiana, 8,000 feet, April 28th to 30th. 

 Phagu, 8,700 feet, May 3rd to 4th. 

 Dharampur,' 5,000 feet, May 6th to 8th. 



Of Mycetophilidce about a dozen specimens, representing nearly 

 this number of species. 



Bibio obscuripennis Meij. Matiana. In large numbers, first 

 appearing on April 30th near flowering crab-apple trees, on which, 

 however, they did not settle. I found the same species abundant at 

 Darjiling one day in October, 1906, and there is a series from Nepal, 

 also taken in October, in the Indian Museum. This raises the 

 question of the species being possibly two-brooded. 



Bibio sp. Three males of a second smaller species, black with 

 reddish legs, black body and clear wings with black stigma. 



Plecia melanaspis Wied. One specimen from Theog. 



PleciafulvicollisV. Theog, Phagu. Two females are apparently 

 this species, but the short vein running from the third longitudi- 

 nal vein to the costa is not so upright as usual, but intermediate 

 between being nearly upright and parallel with the third longitudi- 

 nal vein. This makes me doubt the identity of these specimens 

 with this species, which is essentially a tropical one, though I have 

 taken it as far north as Meerut. Moreover, the original description 

 says " ales obscurcB nigrcB," but Wiedemann in redescribing the 

 species says " wings blackish-brown." The wings of all the speci- 

 mens I have seen alive or soon after death were obscurely black : 

 perhaps the brown colour is due to age. The old specimens of 

 both this and the previous species in the Indian Museum Collection, 

 have brown wings. 



Dilophus, sp. (two specimens). Theog, Phagu. Barely the size 

 of febrilis, reddish-brown, with a thin dorsal thoracic stripe and 



' The specimens from Dharampur were collected by my insect-setter. — N. A. 



