TabaniJfB of the. Australian Region. 289 



brownish ; pubescence on femora white and on apical two- 

 thirds of tibiae, elsewhere black. Wings with yellowish 

 stigma and veins. 



Tabanus sulomensis, ($ ? , sp. n. 



Type (female) and type (male) from Solomon Islands, 

 July-August, 1909 {W/lF. Frogqati). 



These specimens from Mr. Froggatt^s Coll. are placed by 

 him under Tabanus ardens, Wied., which was described from 

 Java. He states this species is very common in the open 

 forest-country of the Solomon Islands, and suggests it has a 

 wide range over tlie Malay Archipelago (see " March Flies," 

 by W. W. Froggatt, in Science IJulletin, No. 3, Sept. 1911, 

 p. 6). Wiedemann's species is not known to me, but I do 

 not think tliese are specimens of it, judging from Wiede- 

 mann's description (see translation of the original in ' Indian 

 Records/ iv. no. vi. p. 224, 1911). The thorax in these is 

 not mouldy grey, the palpi are not light brown, nor are the 

 breast-sides mouldy grey. On the abdomen there is no trace 

 of a golden-yellow spot, and it cannot be described as waxy 

 yellow at sides ; the golden-yellow pubescence on it is not 

 mentioned by Wiedemann. Wings are not yellowish, but 

 brownish. Halteres are black, not golden yellow. 



No species of Tabanus has been described from these 

 islands, and these specimens do not appear to be identical 

 with any species hitherto described from New Guinea or 

 adjacent islands — hence the decision to make it a new 

 species. 



A species to be recognized by the uniform ochraceous 

 tawny colouring of thorax and abdomen, and the almost 

 similar colouring of the antennae, palpi, and legs. The 

 extremely narrow forehead and frontal callus is character- 

 istic, also the slender antennae. 



Length, ? 13 mm., ,$ 12 mm. 



? . Face and forehead ochraceous tawny. Beard scanty, 

 reddish yellow. Palpi a shade lighter in colouring, almost 

 the same width throughout, ending in a short point, with 

 a few black hairs at tip, otherwise pubescence is yellow. 

 Antenna long and slender, the first two joints the same 

 colour as palpi, the third dusky, the first division not very 

 broad, with a very small tooth, the last four divisions to- 

 gether longer than the first one. Forehead parallel, very 

 narrow, about ten times as long as it is broad ; the frontal 

 callus small and narrow, with a stout lineal extension, 

 chestnut-brown in colour. Thorax has the ground-colour 



