New Bombylidse of the Group Paracosmus. 221 



over twice as long as the first, graduallj' tapering to the tip which 

 is blunt and bears several minute hairs. Ocellar tubercle situated 

 nearly midway between the upper edge of the occiput and the 

 insertion of the antennae. Proboscis not projecting beyond the oral 

 margin, the labellcC very large. Tibiae destitute of terminal spurs, 

 pulvilli pad-like, empodium wanting. Wings with two submarginal 

 and four posterior cells, all of them open, as is also the anal cell; 

 tip of second vein not curving forward, meeting the costa at an 

 acute angle; second submarginal cell nearly straight along its 

 upper edge ; bifurcation of second and third veins occurs before the 

 proximal end of the discal cell; small crossvein beyond middle of 

 discal cell. 



Metacosmus exilis n. sp. Female. Head black, anterior por- 

 tion of oral margin and underside of head behind the mouth, white ; 

 front very sparse short white pilose, orbits lightly, face densely 

 white pollinose. Antennae black. Occiput very short sparse white 

 pilose. Thorax and scutellum polished black, very short sparse 

 pilose. Abdomen polished black, hind margins of segments one to 

 five narrowly bordered with white ; abdomen laterally compressed, 

 the posterior end truncated ; venter black, hind margin of each seg- 

 ment narrowlj"- bordered with white. Legs j^ellowish brown, coxae 

 black, tarsi brownish at the apex. Wings wholly hyaline, small 

 crossvein at last third of the discal cell. Halteres brown, the knobs 

 white. Length 6 to 7 mm. Orange county, Cal. Two females, in 

 May. 



These insects I captured about six years ago, resting on the 

 ground in the hot sunshine, but I have never succeeded in obtaining 

 another specimen since that time, although I have repeatedly looked 

 for them. 



Paracosmus insolens n. sp. Male. Black. Front and face 

 densely white pollinose and very short sparse pilose; eyes widely 

 separated. Proboscis not projecting beyond the oral margin, 

 labellae very large. Antennae with first two joints subequal in 

 length, together slightly more than one-half as long as the third, 

 the latter compressed, broadly oblong in profile, rapidly tapering to 

 the tip which is blunt but not distinctly truncated. Occiput bare 

 in the middle above, elsewhere densely white pollinose. Thorax 

 sparsely white pollinose, a stripe of white pollen above the cox£e. 

 Scutellum with a stripe of white pollen at its base. Abdomen with 

 hind margins of segments one to six bordered with white, becoming 

 less extended on each succeeding segment, sides of first segment 

 with a cluster of white pile ; in certain lights a large portion of 

 the abdomen appears to be white pollinose; venter lightly white 



