392 ON THE IXSECTS FROM NEW BRITAIN. 



This genus may be placed near Angitula Walker and Phytalmia Gerst. It is remark- 

 able on account of the elongation of the neck and its peculiar articulation ^vith the head 

 by means of an elongate cervical sclerite on each side ; and also by the prominence of the 

 breast whereby the middle legs are rendered contiguous with the posterior pair, and are 

 remote from the front pair. It also departs from Angitula by a slight peculiarity of the 

 wing-nervuration, the 3rd and 4th veins being more widely separated and the cross-vein 

 longer : in this respect it agrees with an insect from New Guinea, separated by Mr Austen 

 in the British Museum collection as a new genus allied to Angitula. The genus Phytalmia 

 Gerst. (Stett. Ent. Zeit. 1860, p. 169, PI. II. Fig. 3) has much in common with Giraffomyia 

 but in it the thorax is not elongated. 



In some of the specimens the head is ornamented by a pair of peculiar large pro- 

 cesses that are apparently capable of movement by aid of a constriction placed near the 

 base. Several other Acalyptrate Muscids possess peculiar projections on the head. This 

 is well known in the case of the genus Elaphomyia. The genus Clitodoca also possesses 

 cephalic processes. In none of the forms is there however any trace of the projections 

 being divided into two segments except in the case of Giraffomyia. It is very curious if 

 it i^rove, as I expect it will, that so exceptional a structure should be present only in 

 some of the individuals of the male sex of the same species. Of six specimens the two 

 females do not possess the structure, and of the four males, one is entirely ^^^thout it, 

 while the other three possess it in very different degrees of development. When largely 

 developed it is accompanied by a considerable change in the form of the eye. The genus 

 Phytalmia has appendages somewhat like those of Giraffomyia, but not divided at the 

 base. 



Walker places Angitula in the subfamily Sepsides. Gerstaecker has assigned no 

 position to Phytalmia. 



Giraffomyia willeyi, n. sp. PI. XXXY. Fig. 12, ^ ; 12 a, profile of ^ ; 12 6, front of 

 head of male. 



Gracilis, viridi-aenea, nitida, pedibus flavis, nigi'o-variegatis, alarum margine anteriore 

 argute nigi-a; capite aurantiaco, vertice fuscescente, ad marginem interiorem oculonim 

 albido-lineato. Long. 16 m.ni. 



Mas ; capite utrinque processu magno, prope basin quasi articulato, apice laminam 

 curvatam flavam, nigi-o-marginatam formante. 



Of this curious insect Dr Willey obtained at least two males. The colour of the 

 body and abdomen is a bras.sy-green, very shining. The head is pallid underneath the 

 antennae ; behind this it is of a tawny-orange colour, with a very fine white or silvery 

 line close to the eye : the vertex is fuscescent. The elongate cervical sclerites connecting 

 the head with the thorax are rather more than 1 m.m. long. The prothorax and abdomen 

 are membranous beneath. The surface is very polished and free from pubescence, but 

 there are punctures on the dorsal aspect of the thorax and some fine transverse wrinkles 

 on the me.sonotum. The long legs are yellow, with the tips of the femora and tibiae and 

 %vith the long tarsi blackish. The wings are transparent, with the front margin coloured 

 so as to form a very definite black stripe, and vnth this is connected a patch of black 



