December 1S91.J 



PSYCHE. 



187 



distinct species & not the female of the 

 cristata ? I should have given an 

 account of it long ago if I had been sat- 

 isfied on this point, which, however, I 

 do not suppose would deter the author 

 of the expected Fauna Americana. If 

 you have found a male having the 

 swelled tail you are perfectly safe, & I 

 should be glad to see your account of it. 

 It is true that the generic name is an 

 improper one, but I do not think it 

 ought to be changed ; Desmarest com- 

 plains of the name but he observes that 

 he is afraid d'introduire une nouvelle 

 denomination, & de contribuer ainsi & 

 compliquer la synonvmie. 



My concerns here are so numerous 

 that I cannot at present devote as much 

 time to nat. hist, as I could wish, I 

 must therefore defer a further answer to 

 y'r letter for a future opport'y. 



In the cristata the hair has been incor- 

 rectly stated to be in whorls, Desmarest 

 notices this error. It has 22 caruncles 

 on the nose. This author's fig. of 

 cristata is very good (Jour, de physique, 

 for Sept'r rStc)) he relies on Illiger's 

 acumen in placing the Talpa longicau- 

 data. Gmel. Long tailed mole of Pen- 

 nant in this genus, but that species can- 

 not be yours. 



A TACHINID PARASITE OF THE OAK UNICORN PROMINENT. 



BY C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND, LAS CRUCES, N.M. 



The following Tachinid, which I de- 

 scribe from four male specimens, was 

 reared from Schlzura unicornis Sm. 

 & A. by Mr. F. A. Marlatt, at Man- 

 hattan, Kans. It has been bred by him, 

 as he writes me, every year for several 

 years past. The specimens are labelled : 

 "From Oak Unicorn Prominent, Ks. 

 Oct." 



Masicera schizurae n. sp. $ . Black, ciner- 

 eous. Eyes brown, bare; front about one- 

 third the width of head, a little narrower at 

 vertex than before, rather prominent, ciner- 

 eous, with a brassy tinge ; frontal vitta dark 

 brown or blackish, about one-third the fron- 

 tal width ; frontal bristles descending a little 

 or considerably below base of third antennal 



joint, some short hairs outside them and oiv 

 ocellar area; sides of face silvery, bare; face 

 receding, facial depression with a golden 

 tinge, cinereous on the sides of depression; 

 facial ridges with a row of bristles extending 

 nearly or fully half way up the face ; vibrissae 

 decussate, inserted nearly on the oral margin ; 

 cheeks almost wholly invaded by occipital 

 area, cinereous, black hajry, with row of bris- 

 tles on lower border ; antennae a little shorter 

 than the face, black, second joint not elon- 

 gate, bristly before, third joint about four 

 times as long as the second; arista rather 

 long and slender, a little thickened on its 

 proximal half, microscopically pubescent, 

 distinctly jointed at base (in one slightly 

 immature specimen distinctly 3-jointed un- 

 der a high-power lens), black; proboscis 

 short, fleshy, brownish, with large Iabella; 



