LIST OF THE BRITISH STRATIOMYID^. 133 



1. C.formosa, Scop. (1763), Ent. Carn. 839-910. = auratus, 

 F. ; flavogeniculatus, De G. ; cuprarius, Scop. ; cicur, Harr. ; 

 xanthoptsra, Mg. ; azureus, Lw. — Very common everywhere ; 

 London included. The list of synonyms will show how variable 

 the species is, though when once well recognised it cannot be 

 mistaken for any other species in the whole order. 



10. MicRocHRYSA, Lw. (1855), Verb. Zoo. Bot. Ges. v. 131. 

 — Chrysomyia, Walk. ; Sargus, F. ; Nemotelus, De G. ; Musca, L. 



Antennae black. - - - polita. 



Antennae tawny. - - - fiavicornis. 



1. M. polita, Linn. (1761), F. Suec. (1854). = aurata, De G. ; 

 cyaneus, F. ; splendens, Mg. ; vitreus, Harr. — In one variety of 

 this common and widely- distributed species, all the tibiae are 

 tawny-yellow in both sexes. 



2. M. fiavicornis, Mg. (1822), Sys. Bes. iii. 112. = parvidus, 

 Harr. ; pallipes, cyaneiventris, Zett. ; politus, Fall. — Dr. Meade's 

 collection contains one specimen of the very distinct variety 

 cyaneiventris, taken near Bradford. The type and the \&i\ pallipes 

 are common everywhere, both this and the last species occurring 

 also in London. 



11. Beris, Latr. (1802), Hist. Nat. d'Ins. xiv. 340. 

 = STRATioaiYS, F. ; Musca, L. ; Actina, Mg. 



A. Abdomen all tawny yellow. 



B. Transverse abdominal furrows near apex of each segment. clavipes. 

 BB. Furrows hardly visible, or absent. ----- vallata. 

 AA. Abdomen violet or bluish black. 



C. Wings all brown ; legs chiefly black or brown. 



D. Legs light brown ; hind metatarsus very thick, not longer than the 



rest of the tarsus. ------- chalybeata, $ . 



DD. Legs dark brown, knees lighter ; hind metatarsus not thickened, longer 



than the rest of the tarsus. fusci^Jes, $ . 



CC. Wings yellowish grey, a large brownish black stigma ; legs chiefly 



yMillow. 



E. Eyes on vertex separated by one-third of the width of the head. 



F. Hind metatarsus much longer than the four other tarsal joints 



together. Brown band towards tip of posterior femora, fuscipes, J . 



FF, Hind metatarsus as long or hardly longer than the four other tarsal 



joints taken together. Posterior femora unmarked, chalybeata, J . 



EE. Eyes on vertex contiguous or parted by only one-fifth of the width of 



the head. morrisii, (? , 2 . 



There are only five European species of Beris, all of which 

 inhabit Great Britain. 



1. B. clavipes, Linn. (1767), Sys. Nat. ii. 981. ==nigra, Geo&. 

 — Common. The female has dark wings. 



2. B. vallata, Forst. (177 1), Nov. sp. Ins. Cent. i. 96. = nigri- 

 tarsis, Lat. ; clavipes, Mg. — It is almost impossible to distinguish 

 the males of this species from those of clavipes. The transverse 



