284 Miss G. Ricardo on the 



the last two ; pubescence on the bands and spots white, 

 elsewhere black ; underside black, with fine white pubescence 

 covering it. Legs black, the fore tibiae on their basal third, 

 and the other tibise wholly, pale reddish yellow, with white 

 pubescence ; femora with white hairs ; pubescence elsewhere 

 black. Wings clear, stigma reddish brown, veins brown ; 

 no appendix. 



Tahanus cyaneus, Wied. Ausszweifl. Ins. i. p. 152 (1828). 

 Tabaiuis cyaneoviridis, Macquart, Dipt. Exot., Suppl. iv. p. 334(1849). 



Wiedemann described his type from a specimen caught 

 in unknown locality with the antennae and legs wanting, 

 Macquart's type is in the Paris Museum from Tasmania, 

 and has been examined by me. Specimens are in the Brit. 

 Mus. Coll. from Sydney, N. S. Wales (' Challenger ' Expe- 

 dition) ; from Brisbane, 1. iii. 1902 {H. Tryun), 11)12; from 

 South Queensland [Dr. T. L. Bancroft) ; from Stannary 

 Hills, North Queensland, circa 3000 ft. {Dr. T. L. Ban- 

 crojt) ; also from Burpengary, South Queensland, by the 

 same collector ; from Inkerman, near Townsville, N. Queens- 

 land {W. Stalker), 1908. 



1'his well-known species is easily recognized, being a 

 shining blue-black metallic colour. The antennce bright 

 reddish yellow, the two basal joints black. Palpi, face, and 

 forehead black, the latter parallel, narrow, with a pear-shaped 

 shining Ijlack frontal callus ; the lineal extension stout, 

 reaching the vertex. Legs black. Wings clear, dark brown 

 at the base; stigma yellow, veins brown. 



Length from 13-14 mm. 



Group X. 



Species with tlie abdomen unicolorous or ahiiost so, sometimes 

 darJier at apex. 



Tahanus funebris, Macq. Dipt. Exot., Suppl. i. p. 161, pi. iii. 

 fig. 12 (1845). 



A species from New Holland, which I have not been able 

 to identify, the type being apparently lost. 



It is described as entirely black, the margins with the 

 veins shaded brown, as shown in the figure. 



Length 11 mm. 



