46 AMASIS OBSCURA. 



The abdomen appears to vary in colour considerably. 

 In a specimen in Shuckard's collection (labelled " from 

 British Collection, Brit. Mus.") it is saffron-yellow for 

 the greater part. The basal segment is entirely black 

 above ; the second black except at sides ; the black in 

 the two following is as wide but becomes narrower at 

 the apex. In the three following it does not extend 

 to the apex at all, and the apical bears no black ; the 

 amount of black on the legs varies also. 



" The only examples I have seen of this pretty 

 species " are in the British Museum ; they were taken 

 near Bristol (Stephens, /. c.). 



Nothing is known about the life-history of this 

 species, but according to Jurine the flies frequent 

 Ranunculus bulbosus. 



Continental distribution : Germany, Switzerland, 

 France, Austria, and especially in Italy and along the 

 Mediterranean. 



2. AMASIS OBSCURA. 



Tenthredo obscura, Fab., S. E., 319, 9 ; Pz., F. G., Heft 84, pi. xiii. 

 Cimbex obscura, Fab., S. P., 18, 12; Lep., MOD., 39; Htg., 



Blattw., 74, 11. 

 italica, Lep., 1. c., 39. 



Amasis obscura, Ste., 111., vii, 14, 1; Thorns., Hym. Sc., i, 13, 

 1 ; Br. and Zad., Schr. Ges. Konig., iii, 

 277,4; Andre, Species,!, 33; Cat., 4,* 5. 



Black; head and thorax covered with a fuscous pubescence; abdo- 

 men silky. Wings hyaline, more or less infuscated towards the middle. 

 Length 3^ lines. 



" Said to have been found in Lincolnshire. The only 

 specimens I have seen are in the British Museum " 

 (Stephens, I. c.). 



The distribution of obscura is wider and more 

 northern than crassicornis, it being found in Scan- 

 dinavia, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, and 

 Eussia. 



