1922] Curran: Hammer schmidtia and Brachypoda 253 



in the Collection of Washington State College. The above 

 description is made from two specimens from British Columbia, 

 and there are three specimens in the Canadian National Col- 

 lection fiom British Columbia. 



A very distinct species by its large size and rather dis- 

 tinctive color. The arista is most conspicuously plumose, 

 and the species would be included in Hammerschmidtia in 

 Europe. 



Hammerschmidtia. 



The characteristics of this genus have been sufficiently dealt with 

 under Brachyopa. The species discussed below is the type of the genus, 

 and possibly the only representative. 



Hammerschmidtia ferruginea, Fallen. 



Length, 9 to 11 mm. Male. Head yellowish red, antennal base, 

 a median facial stripe and the cheeks shining ; in profile a little excavated 

 below the antenna, and a little below the middle with a longish tubercle, 

 below which it is slightly retreating to the oral opening, or the face 

 may be more excavated below the antennae; it is considerably produced 

 downwards. Antennse shining yellowish red, arista black, its base 

 reddish, plumose. Pile of occiput wholly yellowish. Thorax brownish, 

 sometimes ferruginous, the side margins always ferruginous reddish, 

 on each side of the middle with rather broad, posteriorly abbreviated 

 grayish or silvery pollinose stripes. The pile is chiefly short, pale 

 yellowish, but there are some longer, black, stout hairs behind the 

 suture and on the darker stripes. There are bristle-like hairs on the 

 mesopleurae, in front of the suture at the side, above the base of the 

 wings, on the postalar calli and the apex of the scutellum, which is 

 reddish, with short black pile. The abdomen is very variable in color, 

 but seems to be chiefly shining brownish with quadrate reddish or 

 ferruginous spots on the anterior angles, occupying about half the 

 length of the segment, and broadly separated, in mature specimens; 

 or the spots may occupy most of the segment and form a complete 

 anterior band, or the second segment may be entirely ferruginous. 

 The fourth segment is usually all brown, except the anterior corners, 

 but may be only brownish posteriorly in light colored specimens. 

 The hypopygium is always light reddish to reddish. The pile is very 

 short, blackish, except basally, on the anterior angles of the segments 

 and on the hypopygium, where it is whitish and longer. The legs show 

 the same variation in color from ferruginous brown to ferruginous, 

 the hind legs always darker; four anterior coxae reddish or yellow; 

 hind tibiae arcuate and paler basally; last two tarsal joints blackish. 

 All the femora, which are a little thickened, the hind ones more so, are 

 armed with short black spines beneath and long black bristles posteriorly 

 and anteriorly; the hind tibicE bear several short, stout bristles exteriorly, 

 and all the tibia?, the hind ones less prominently so, bear a terminal 



