584 - MAJOR E, E. AUSTEN ON THE 



Apart from the coloration of the abdomen, as exhibited in the 

 case of the typical specimen at least, Pantophihalmus conspicuus 

 in the $ sex exliibits a certain superficial resemblance both to 

 P. chuni Enderl. and P. conspicabilis Austen. From both of 

 these species it is, however, distinguishable inter alia owing to 

 the wings being broadly pale (cream-buft* or buft- yellow) at the 

 base, and to the facial beak being bluntly rounded at the tip 

 instead of acuminate. From P. chuni, apart from any other 

 characters, it is further distinguished by its stout, furry hind 

 tibise, and pale front (fions). 



The type of P. conspicuus was originally preserved and sent to 

 the Museum in spirit, find there is reason to believe that, owing 

 either to this, or to natural post-mortem changes, tlie coloration 

 of the disc of the abdomen (exclusive of tiie lateral borders) has 

 suffered alteration, and that it was originally green. This at iiny 

 I'nte seems a natural deduction from the fact thtit traces ol' green 

 are visible hero and there in the first four abdominal tergites, 

 and that the halteres are still more or less green {vide descrip- 

 tion above). In any case, this is not the only instance in which 

 a representative of this family is more or less green in life, since, 

 according to the late Prof. Hermann (Deutsch. Ent. Z., Jahrg. 

 1916, Heft i. pp. 43, 45, April 1, 1916), the Brazilian Pant- 

 ophthalmits alienus Herm., in the female sex at any rate, in 

 which the ground-colour of the abdomen is dull velvety-black, 

 has the hind margins of the first four tergites apple-green, Avhile 

 there are indications that in life the scutellum and halteres are 

 of the same colour. It is of course well known that in those 

 instances among Diptera — highly exceptional if the Ohironomidte 

 be excluded — in which the predominant colour in life is green, 

 the green pigment after death is often or usually, largely or 

 entirely, i-eplaced by yellow. As cases in point, it will suffice 

 to mention Oxycera trilineata Fabr., and other Stiatiomyid.'e, 

 such as the South American Odontomyia pulchra Wiod. ; Tabaims 

 fasciatus Fabr., of West and Central Africa ; and the European 

 J) idea alneti Fin. 



What is almost certainly the male sex of P. conspicuus is 

 represented by a solitary (S {cf. text-fig. 7) from the R. Amazons, 

 Brazil (II. W. Bates), in the Hope Department, UniverKsity 

 Museum, Oxford (ex coll. W. W, Saunders). - The dimensions of 

 this specimen are as follows : — Length 29'6 mm. ; width of hend 

 just over 8 mm. ; greatest width of abdomen (across hind margin 

 of second tergite) 9'4 mm. ; length of wing 24*4 mm. Viewed 

 from above and slightly from in front, the dorsum of the thoiax, 

 except the hind border of the scutellum, is unstriped and 

 uniformly silvery, forming a striking colour-contrast with the 

 dorsum of the abdomen, which is ochraceous-tawny ; the lateral 

 extremities of the first four abdominal tergites are black and 

 deflexed, while the posterior a.ngles of the second and third 

 tergites are each occupied by a large, bluntly triangular, silvery- 

 white spot, lateral borders and spots being scarcely noticeable 



