TUICHOCERA. 271 



Male. Abdomen obtuse at the tip, with rather short forceps. Fern. Ab- 

 domen with two short curved divergent anal styles. 



The larvae live in fungi, decayed wood, and decaying vegetables, 

 such as potatoes, turnips, and carrots. The body is cylindrical. 

 The head is oval, with two very short lateral lobes ; the tip of the 

 abdomen is much acuminated, and has three small conical points. 

 The flies are very numerous, and their habits are indicated by the 

 names of two of the species, for they live through the winter, and 

 resume their ascending and descending flight whenever a thaw 

 occurs. The species may be grouped thus : 

 a. Fork of the first externo-medial vein short. Species 1. 

 a a. Fork of the first externo-medial vein long. 



b. Transverse veinlets of the wings not clouded. Species 2. 



b b. Transverse veinlets clouded with brown. Species 3. 



1. fuscata, Meg.; Meig. Zw. i. 212. 1 (1818); Mcq. ; Gim. ; 

 Stteg. ; Zett. annulata ? Meg. ; Meig. ; Mcq. ; Staeg. ; Ferris ; Zett. 

 Lurida, thorace vitta cinerea, alls sublimpidis, venae externo-medialis 

 primte furca brevi, abdomine fasciis subcinereis, tarsis fuscescentibus. 

 Long. 2 1-3 ; alar. 6-7 lin. 



Lurid. Antennae blackish. Tliorax with a grey stripe. Wings nearly 

 limpid ; fork of the first externo-medial vein short. Halteres testaceous, 

 with piceous knobs. Hind borders of the abdominal segments greyish. 

 Tarsi brownish. 



Generally distributed. (E. S. I.) 



2. hiemalis, D. G. Ins. vi. 360. 13 (1752) ; Latr. ; Lam. ; Meig. ; 

 Mcq. ; Zett. ; Gim. ; Curt. ; Stseg. ; Ross. (V.) parva, Meig. ; Mcq. ; 

 Zett. ; Gim. ; Stseg. ; Ross. (V.) Nigra, alis sublimpidis, venae externo- 

 medialis primae furca longa, abdomine pedibusque piceis, tarsis nigris. 

 Long. 3-3| ; alar. 7-8 lin. 



Mack. Wings nearly limpid ; fork of the first externo-medial vein 

 long. Halteres testaceous, with piceous knobs. Abdomen piceous. Legs 

 piceous ; tarsi black. 



Generally distributed. (E. S. I.) Appears during the winter 

 when the weather is mild, and is gregarious in the air, and then 

 its movements are vertical, like those of many other Ti/puUda, 



3. regelationis, L. S. N. 2. 972. 21 (1763) ; F. ; Schr. ; Gmel. ; 

 Meig. ; Mcq. ; Zett. ; Gim. ; Stseg. Lurida, vertice thoracisque disco 



fuscis, alis sublimpidis, venae externo-medialis primce furca longa, venulis 

 transversisfusco-nubilis, tarsis fuscescentibus. Long. 3-4 ; alar. 7-9 lin. 

 Dull lurid. Vertex and disc of the thorax brown. Wings nearly 

 limpid ; transverse veinlets slightly clouded with brown ; fork of the first 

 externo-medial vein long. Halteres pale testaceous, with piceous knobs. 

 Legs pale lurid ; tarsi brownish. 



Generally distributed. (E. S. I.) 



