LEPTOMYDAS. 321 



segments with grey hairs at sides. Genitalia small, partly with- 

 drawn, dark shining brown; ultimate portion with a row of light 

 brown scale-like spines on each side. Legs simple, no traces of 

 bristles or longer hairs, except two apical bristles at the tips of the 

 anterior tibiae (the hind tibiae and tarsi are missing) ; dark brown, 

 with minute grey pubescence, which is longer on the coxae and 

 short and thick on the tibiae ; tarsal joints with black tips. 

 Wings uniformly pale yellow, veins darker yellow, costa black ; 

 border of wing without a single hair ; 3rd longitudinal vein with 

 a minute appendix at base of upper fork; alulae concolorous, bare; 

 tegulae very small, bright yellow with a very narrow fringe; halteres 

 blackish, stem brown. 



LenytJi, 16 mm. 



Described from a single $ in the Indian Museum from Sadiya r 

 Assam. 



The type is a $ , as noted on Bigot's MS. label, though in 

 describing it 1 stated it was probably a c? . I placed indianus 

 in Leptomydas because Bigot's MS. label bore that name, but an 

 examination of the various genera shows that in this genus the 

 proboscis should be long. In indianus it only projects from 

 the mouth-opening for a short distance, the tips of the distinct 

 labella reaching as far forward as the 2nd antennal joint. The 

 only other genus to which it could be referred seems to be 

 Ectyphus, Gerst., in which the proboscis is described as rudi- 

 mentary, barely projecting from the oral orifice. But the epistome 

 in Ectyphus is long and vertical, whereas in indianus the lower 

 part of the head does not descend below the level of the eyes. 

 The proboscis in the type projects upwards at an angle ; if directed 

 forwards, it would, of course, appear comparatively longer : Ger- 

 staecker's figure shows a proboscis reaching to half the length of 

 the antennae. However, the tip of the abdomen bears the circlet 

 of spines, which is one character that differentiates Leptomydas 

 from Mydas, so in the circumstances the species is left here- 

 temporarily. 



Family EMPLOYE.* 



Comparatively small-sized flies, generally bare or nearly so 

 except for a few bristles, of sombre colours ; t found chiefly in 

 woods and shady situations, many species frequenting the neigh- 

 bourhood of water. In the tropics they occur mostly in localities 

 of some elevation. Systematically much more variety of struc- 

 ture is present than in the adjacent families of ASILID^K and 

 DOLICIIOPODID^E. 



* So.ne authors adopt the name EMPIDID*:. The late G. H. Verrall saj 

 (Brit. Flies, v, p. 28): " Dr. A. W. Verrall is of opinion that the word Lmptdidce 

 is pedantic, and instances Euelpida." 



t The only exceptions are a few metallic species from the tropical region* 

 of the New World. 



