134 HYCETOPHILIDJE. 



tends to support the view of specific validity ; the male is known in 

 nigripennis and diversipes only. Were it n6t that each form, except 

 longinervis, is represented by several examples (nigripennis by ten, 

 diversipes by eight males and two females, fratercula by seven, and 

 exacta by twenty), I should have hesitated to describe more than 

 one of them ; but when arranged side by side, the impression 

 given is certainly that of five closely allied though distinct species, 

 practically little difficulty being encountered in allotting any 

 particular specimen to its respective species. Yet the characters 

 on which they are separated, namely, the length of the 1st longi- 

 tudinal vein, the branches of the fork of the 4th, the colour of 

 the legs and the size of the insect, are admittedly variable. The 

 first character, however, is apparently quite consistent in eocacta * ; 

 the yellowish femora similarly so in diversipes; and the great 

 length of the 1st longitudinal vein in longinervis, being greater 

 than in any other specimen of Oriental Sciara that I have seen ; 

 and these facts seem to point to specific distinctness. 



There is, therefore, only fratercula which may eventually be 

 merged with niynpennis, the difference in the length of the 1st 

 vein in these species being less distinctly marked than in the 

 others. These two forms are provisionally regarded as distinct 

 only on the apparent constancy of four characters combined : 

 the colour of the wings and of the legs, the length of the 1st vein, 

 and the size. 



It will be noted that in these remark s,favofemora ta and flavicollis 

 are not included, although they appear in the same section in the 

 table of species ; this is because from their coloration they cannot 

 be confused with the species under discussion. 



90. Sciara flavicollis, sp. nov. 



c? 5 . Head black, face sometimes a little brownish or yellowish ; 

 palpi black ; antennae black with the scapal joints generally reddish 

 or yellowish. Thorax shining black, nearly bare ; shoulders and 

 anterior margin more or less narrowly brownish or yellowish, the 

 colour sometimes confined to the shoulders, sometimes spreading 

 along the sides of the dorsura. Scutellum dark shining brown, 

 nearly bare, with several stiff long black hairs. Stiff long hairs 

 also along the sides of the dorsum of the thorax. Metanotum 

 and hind pleurae dark shining brown. Abdomen black, with black 

 pubescence, hind margins of segments generally almost imper- 



* If, however, exacta be placed in juxtaposition to oriental (which latter 

 species I have regarded as intermediate between the two principal groups), 

 some hesitation may be encountered respecting the specific validity of these 

 species, since specimens admittedly of oricntalis have the venation of exacta. 

 and there is therefore only the smaller size to distinguish the former species. 

 I should not be surprised to find them identical, in which case I propose that, 

 the name orientalis be retained, as more appropriate ; moreover, exacta would 

 in such a case be incorrect. 



