from the Rio Xaulhi, Slate oj Vera Cruz. 277 



disk of scutclluin, though scparted from latter by the silvery 

 liincl niarunii <'f thorax. In the other speeimen this post- 

 sutural goldfii pullen is so faint as to be apparent only in a 

 golden shade next the silvery hind margin of thorax, witii 

 none on the scutellnm. Loew mentioned the postsutural 

 golden in his descrijttion of radiata^ but failed to notice that, 

 from Wiedemann's description, it is eviilently lacking in 

 formosa and therefore of use as a differential character. 



Keither Loew nor Wiedemann mentioned the yellow of the 

 wings, which doubtless varies much and may even be obsolete 

 in some specimens. Wiedemann evidently means the first 

 basal cell, when he says, "xMittel oder Speichenzelle" milky. 

 Tliis is the case, at least. The present specimens agree with 

 Loew's description in the milky radiations. Wiedemann 

 says that these radiations follow the iiu^er border of the 

 longitudinal veins, which is true with the exception that it is 

 the outer border in the case of the last section of fourth vein. 

 The second costal cell is wholly milky. The specimens of 

 radiata mentioned by me in Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington 

 (ii, pp. ] 38-139) were taken at Dixie Landing, Va., early 

 in July, on flowers of sumach {Rhus sp.). The previous 

 specimen from same locality, mentioned in same Proceedings 

 (i, p. 255), taken August 19, was from flowers of tansy 

 [Tanacetum vidyare, L.). 



37. Trichopoda formosa^ var. inconstans, Wd. 



Three males, San Rafael, July 2, 3, and 6. On flowers of 

 the Cord i a sp. 



Length 13 to 15 millim. 



I would refer these specimens to auranttaca, Towns, (Proc. 

 Ent. Soc. Wash. ii. p. 140), which should be ranked as a 

 variety of formosa, were it not for the conspicuous golden- 

 yellow markings back of the suture, which are absent in 

 auraniiaca. It would fit the description of luterpenms, were 

 it not lor the distinct broad area of black extending from 

 base to tip of wing broadly bordering the yellow posteriorly, 

 and the black colour of the legs. It may best be referred to 

 inconsianSf which also should be considered a variety of 

 formosa. 



The present specimens agree with the description of tncon- 

 stans in all except the triangular blackish areas of second to 

 fourth abdominal segments. These are hardly perceptible, 

 but still there seems to be a trace of them. Such markings 

 can be of little use in separating dried specimens, being 

 variable and doubtless due to the coagulation of the juices of 



