66 Psyche [June 



the scutellum. Border of scutellura gray pruinose, yellowish in 

 center. Abdomen yellowish gray pruinose, hind margins of all 

 except last segment polished black, the last three narrowly. An- 

 terior third of second segment polished black. Second, third, 

 fourth, fifth, and sixth segments with a black spot on each side. 

 The gray pruinose fasciae on all the segments vary in size and shape, 

 in all but the last segment running almost to the median line. The 

 gray pruinose spots on the seventh segment are confined to the 

 lateral margin. Meso, sterno, and pteropleurse bare, and gray 

 pruinose with golden brown spots. Scutellum rounded and with a 

 subapical pair of stout bristles. Femora black, the tips of the 

 middle and hind ones being gray pruinose in front. Knees dark 

 reddish brown. Tibiae and tarsi dark reddish brown. Legs very 

 much darker beneath. White hairs on legs quite thick, the bristles 

 strong and either brown or white. Halteres grayish brown, 

 lighter at tip and base. Supra-alars reddish yellow, the rest of 

 the thoracic bristles black. Antennal style about one third as 

 long as third joint. JNIystax mixed yellow and white. In two 

 specimens the front pair of dorso centrals are partly reddish. 

 Wings hyaline. Broad brown spots at base of discal, posterior 

 and submarginal cells. Tip of wing brown. Genitalia polished 

 black. 



Type—V. S. N. M., Cat. No. 20184. Several paratypes in 

 author's collection. 



Habitat — East Highlands, Cal., February, 1915. 



This species is quite close to punctipennis Coq.,but the markings 

 differ, and the spots of the wing are darker and more distinct. 

 In punctipennis the tip of the wing is hyaline, and the base of the 

 marginal cell has no brown color. The thoracic and scutellar 

 bristles of pictiwi are black, those of punctipennis are yellowish. 

 The tarsi of pictum are darker, and the knees black. In punc- 

 tipennis the knees are red and the gray pruinose fasciae on the ab- 

 domen are broader. A number of specimens of this new species 

 were collected, most of the material being in the author's collec- 

 tion in California and not available for study. These small flies 

 were collected on the dead twigs of sage brush {Salria mellifera) 

 and the wild alfalfa {Lotus glaber) so common in Southern Cali- 

 fornia, and are not very quick on the wing. 



