1895.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 31 



I can find no reference to such a structure as is described and 

 figured herewith, and am constrained to regard the specimens as 

 representatives of a new and peculiar genus. Its nearest ally 

 among the described forms seems to be NemorcEa, from which, 

 however, the female will be at once distinguished by the much 

 elongated row of frontal bristles and the peculiarly light colored 

 antenna. It is difficult to describe the structure of the male an- 

 tennae in brief language, and I will therefore refer the reader to 

 the figures here given, which have been carefully made. The 

 first two joints are very short, while the third is extraordinarily 

 elongated and split near the base into two nearly equal divisions, 

 the inner one of which is straight and dilated at its tip into a 

 boot-like extremity. The outer branch arises from in front of 

 the base, and is curved outward and then inward, the slightly 

 everted extremity resting upon the toe of the boot. Altogether, 

 the figure shown in front view is not unlike that of a lyre. The 

 arista is attached to the inner branch near its origin, and is very 

 distinctly jointed. The light yellow color of the antennae adds 

 to their peculiar appearance. 



What the function of such a remarkably developed sexual 

 peculiarity is I cannot conjecture. It is in this family, as a whole, 

 that we find the most highly specialized antennae, and frequently 

 the male antennae are different from those of the female. In a 

 few instances I have observed the males when at rest alternately 

 raising and depressing the antennae with a see-sawing motion. 



Aside from the antennae, the structural characters of this fly 

 are as follows : 



Dichocera gen. nov. ^. — Front broad, gently and evenly convex; on 

 either side a row of frontal bristles, which extend down on the sides of 

 the' face to opposite the lower margin of the eyes. Two orbital, proclinate 

 bristles present. Eyes oval, their length equal to only a little more than 

 one-half the height of the head; clothed with moderately long, not abun- 

 dant pile. Face much receding; median excavation broad; sides of the 

 face narrow, bare, except for the row of descending frontal bristles. Cheeks 

 very broad, hairy; near the front part with a vertical row of bristles a 

 little removed from the facial margin. Vibrissal bristles situated almost 

 immediately upon the oral margin. Occipital orbits narrow, with a row 

 of rather small bristles upon the upper half. Palpi slender, slightly thick- 

 ened at the extremity. Abdomen oval and convex; second segment with 

 a pair of marginal bristles, the third with both marginal and discal bristles. 

 Claws and pulvilli small; first posterior cell narrow and narrowly open, 

 the apical cross-vein oblique, terminating a little distance before the tip 



