90 Mr. J. O. Westwood's Descriptions 



many of the species, and slender, with the last joint pear-shaped 

 and red, the base being black. The proboscis is short. (Fig. 3a.) 

 The thorax is obscure black. The abdomen is of equal length 

 and continuous with the thorax, tapering beyond the middle ; it is 

 obscure black, slightly glossy, especially at the extremity of the 

 segments. The second and three following segments are marked 

 on each side at the base with a triangular obscure fulvous spot ; 

 the two terminal segments are dark castaneous, with the penul- 

 timate one black on its hind margin : on the underside the abdo- 

 men has the base of each segment fasciated with fulvous. The 

 legs are obscure pitchy red, with the posterior femora moderately 

 clavate and serrated and almost black, except at the base and 

 extremity. The wings are almost limpid, with slender pale brown 

 veins. The upper branch of the fourth (furcate) longitudinal 

 vein emits a very short branchlet dii-ected towards the base of the 

 wing, and the lower branch extends to the costa. The apical ap- 

 pendage of the abdomen is retracted within the apex in the only 

 specimen of the female which I have seen. 



Fig. 3. The insect slightly magnified ; 3a, the head seen sideways. 



Mydas UmpiiUpennis, Westw. 



Mydas niger, facie griseo-setosa, (antennis mutilis,) thorace 

 nigro opaco ; abdomine dilatato subconvexo, segmento primo 

 nigro, griseo parum hirto, 2do et 3tio nigris utrinque ad basin 

 macula minima albido-lutea notatis, 4 apicalibus piceis ; pe- 

 dibus rufo-piceis, alis perlimpidis, venis pallidis. j 

 Expansio alarum 1 \ unc. 

 Habitat in Australia occidentali. 

 In Mus. D. Saunders, 



This species is nearly allied to the preceding. The head is 

 black, including the nasus, which is but very slightly prominent, 

 the face is clothed with grey hairs. The proboscis is short, the 

 antennae are broken off in the only specimen 1 have seen of the 

 female. The thorax is black and opaque, the halteres are black at 

 the tips. The abdomen is as broad as and continuous with the 

 thorax at the base, the middle joints being still wider, and the 

 apical joints are gradually attenuated ; the basal segment is black, 

 and slightly clothed with grey pile ; the two following segments 

 are black, each with a minute luteous buff spot on each side, and 

 the four terminal segments are pitchy and rather glossy, and 

 punctured. The abdomen beneath is black, very glossy, and 

 margined. The legs are entirely of an obscure pitchy reddish 



