PHLEBOTOMUS. 209 



the middle, the upper branch again forking before half its length.* 

 The 3rd vein begins at one-third of the wing, running straight to 

 the wing-tip, the anterior cross-vein placed at its basal angle ; the 

 4th vein forks just beyond the fork of the 2nd longitudinal, its 

 branches being parallel ; 5th vein straight, long ; 6th sinuous, 

 long. Basal cell nearly one-third the length of the wing. Scales 

 are present at the base of the wing only, the whole wing having 

 an iridescent silvery grey appearance, though the colour may be 

 best described as smoke-grey ; in many specimens the wings are 

 practically clear, with pale brownish yellow or yellowish grey 

 hairs arranged in the usual divaricate method along all the veins. 



Length about 2 inillim. 



Probably distributed all over the plains of India,, as it occurs, at 

 least in Calcutta, at all times of the year. In the Indian Museum, 

 from Port Canning, Eajmahal (Feb., July), Asansol and Pusa, in 

 Bengal ; Poona ; Luckuow ; Madras ; and at Pallode and Madda- 

 thorai in Travancore State, and also at Peradeuiya, Ceylon, 

 1500 ft. 



Types in the Indian Museum. 



This species is easily distinguished, except in the case of females 

 distended with blood, from all other Indian forms by the strong 

 contrast in colour between the dorsal surface and the sides of the 

 thorax. In P. Idmalayensis the thoracic dorsurn is darker than 

 the sides, but the difference is not at all so conspicuous as in the 

 present species. It is found in Calcutta throughout the year 

 but at times is much more abundant, apparently favouring dark 

 spots in the basement of houses and bathrooms, being also often 

 attracted at night by the light of a lamp. 



Var. marginatus, Ann. 



$ . Body rather darker than in P. zeylanicus. 



Legs : the hind leg is less that two and a half times as long as 

 the thorax and abdomen ; its femur about half as long as its 

 tibia, of the same length as the metatarsus, which latter is equal 

 in length to the rest of the tarsus ; coxa3 and femora rather bright 

 shining pale brown. Wings with the 1st longitudinal vein ending 

 some little way before three-fourths of the wing; 2nd longitudinal 

 vein forking distinctly before the middle of the wing, the 

 anterior branch forking distinctly beyond it ; 4th longitudinal vein 

 forking almost exactly at the middle. 



Peradeniya, Ceylon ; a single female taken in May. 



Type in the Indian Museum. 



Although only a solitary specimen is known, this variety is 

 apparently a good one. The venation is rather like that of the 

 typical form of P. argentipes, but the upper branch of the 2nd 

 longitudinal vein forks distinctly before the tip of the 1st vein, 

 instead of approximately below the tip ; the wing also is narrower. 



* The fork of the upper branch of the 2nd longitudinal vein is sometimes 

 considerably more basal than shown in Dr. Annandale's figure, and the wings 

 are not infrequently much less broad. 



