Tabanidse of the Australian Region. 279 



shoulders ; the posterior borders of thorax appear grey 

 tomentose. Scutellum blackish, with traces of white hairs 

 on its borders. Abdomen blackish, all the segmentations 

 grey tomentose, with white hairs ; traces of white median 

 spots appear on the type and are distinct in the fresh speci- 

 mens on the second^ third, and fourth segments ; pubescence 

 elsewhere on dorsum black; sides of the first two segments 

 are inclined to be reddish in colour. Legs blackish, femora 

 with grey tomentum, the tibiae yellowish, as is also the first 

 joint of the tarsi ; pubescence black, with long and short 

 hairs on the sides of the tibiae. Wings clear, an appendix 

 present, veins and stigma blackish. 



Tabanus antece.dens, ? , Walker, List Dipt, i. p. 178 (1818) ; 

 cJ, List Dipt. v. p. 253 (1851). 



Type (female) from Van Diemen's Laud, and a series of 

 females from Mts. of Victoria (C. French), 190D ; one from 

 Tasmania, presented by Mr. A. White ; and others from 

 Dandenong Ranges, Victoria (French Coll.). 



A blackish species larger than Tabanus imperfect as, Wlk., 

 with pale slender palpi, a hairy face, dark antennae, and 

 forehead parallel or almost so, with a large square frontal 

 callus. Abdomen with grey segmentations and often indis- 

 tinct, grey-haired, triangular median spots. 



Length 12-13 mm. 



Face covered with ashy-grey tomentum and with black 

 hairs, with which are intermixed a few shorter white hairs ; 

 lower part of face pale reddish. Palpi pale reddish yellow, 

 covered with grey tomentum on basal half and with rather 

 long black hairs, intermixed with white hairs on basal half, 

 which is stout, the apical half slender, ending in a point. 

 Beard composed chiefly of white hairs. Antenna blackish, 

 the first two reddish yellow with black hairs, the third rather 

 broad at base, with a distinct angle representing the tooth. 

 Forehead parallel or slightly narrower at the vertex, the sub- 

 callus usually covered with greyish tomentum, often denuded 

 and appearing reddish ; the frontal callus is large, reaching 

 the eyes, almost square, shining reddish brown or black, 

 with a short extension ; some rather long black pubescence 

 is present on the forehead, which is covered with greyish 

 tomentum ; at the vertex a tuft of long black hairs is a 

 characteristic of this species. Eyes with thick pubescence. 

 Thorax blackish, with four lineal slaty-grey tomentose stripes, 

 not always very distinct ; shoulders pale reddish ; pubescence 

 on thorax long, black, with some interspersed pale short 



