MEEODOX. \ **"* : ': : '. i ( 



the lateral ones are abbreviated in front and almost interrupted 

 towards the suture; pleurae shining aeneous, with grey hair; 

 scutelluni entirely blackish aeneous, pale-haired. Squamulae lurid, 

 with a yellowish fringe. Abdomen broad and rounded at the 

 apex, not conical ; it is shining dark tawny with some bluish 

 reflexions ; first segment very small and blackish ; second with 

 n narrow black fore border, not reaching the sides, an obsolete 

 median black band and two orange lateral spots, forming an 

 interrupted band; third and fourth with a transverse yellowish 

 pellucid median band, interrupted towards the middle, that of 

 the third paler, the hair is whitish, pure white on the transverse 

 bands, but that on the orange spots is orange; genitalia large 

 and rounded, but not prominent, black ; venter reddish yellow, 

 clothed with long pale hair, like that on the sides. Coxae and 

 femora shining black, narrowly yellow at the apex, with grey 

 hair ; hind femora moderately thickened, with a short but strong 

 pre-apical tooth ; hind trochanters rounded, simple ; tibiae black, 

 with the basal third yellow, whitish pilose, those of the hind 

 pair without any apical tooth ; tarsi brownish yellow, the last 

 joint black. Wings grey, unspotted, with typical venation, but 

 the clisi-al cell broader and its inferior corner provided with a short 

 but distinct stump. 



Type <3 , a single specimen from Durban, 21. x. 1902 (F. Muir). 



108. Merodon melanocerus, sp. n. 



$ . Length of the body 12 mm. 



A species very like gnecus, Loew, and probably belonging to the 

 armipes-grorip of Dr. Sack's Monograph, but distinguished by the 

 entirely black antenna? ; perhaps, however, more allied to seyclum 

 and belonging to the m cent inn-group. 



Frons aeneous black, the ocellar portion and a median longitudinal 

 line being shining, the sides covered with grey pollen ; face shining 

 black, with sparse white hair ; edge of buccal cavity very pro- 

 minent ; antennas black, the third joint attenuated at the apex, 

 twice as long as broad ; proboscis black ; eyes with grey hair. Thorax 

 shining black, with short grey hair and no distinct bands. Scutelluni 

 entirely black, pale-haired; squaniulae white, with a yellowish fringe. 

 Abdomen shining black as in greens ; the bands of white pollen on 

 the second and third segments are straight and narrowly interrupted 

 towards the middle, that of the fourth is triangularly produced 

 forwards in the middle ; the sides are clothed with dense yellow 

 hair ; the hind borders of second to fourth are yellowish with white 

 margins. Legs simple, dull black, with yellow knees. Wings 

 greyish hyaline, with typical venation ; lower angle of the discal 

 cell rounded, not appendiculatecl. 



Type $ , a single specimen from Piet Retief, Transvaal, 25. x. 

 1903 (A. Crawthay). 



