1870. ] 1 
Its ground colour is a deep red, and this is much suffused or 
sprinkled with black, especially on the wing, antenne, and trunk cases, 
also on the back of the thorax; this last has, however, a dorsal line, 
and the pieces of the thorax are outlined with the ground colour ; the 
antenne and ends of the wing-cases are relieved by a fine marginal 
streak of flesh colour, and joining them; the smooth sides of the 
abdominal incisions are deep, and rather purplish-red; the spiracles 
blackish-brown. 
Emsworth : October 12th, 1870. 
ON THE BRITISH SPECIES OF PLATYCHIRUS. 
BY @ H. VERRALL. 
This genus was included under Syrphus by Walker in the “ Insecta 
Britannica,” but is now generally considered distinct, being separated 
by the following characters :—the epistoma and scutellum are eneous, 
without any yellow markings, though the epistoma is often dusted with 
yellow tomentum ; the abdomen is linear, marked with three or four 
pairs of sub-quadrate spots; and, especially, the front tarsi of the males 
are always dilated, whence the genus derives its name ; the species have 
also a strong family resemblance, which will at once separate them from 
their allies. Walker described six species, all of which, with the 
addition of immarginatus, I included in my list published last January, 
though I had not seen any specimens of fulviventris ; I have since met 
with four others, so that we have now eleven British species. They are 
as follows: 
1. manicutus, Linn.: distinguished by the considerably produced conical 
epistoma; by the male having the two basal joints of the front tarsi 
forming a large oval, whitish-yellow, flat disc, spotted with black 
beneath, the other joints brownish and moderate in size; and by the 
dull thorax of the female. It is common in meadows almost every- 
where, and swarmed at Loch Rannoch last June. 
2. melanopsis, Loew: this species is somewhat allied to the preceding, 
but is smaller, with the abdominal spots smaller and redder, es- 
pecially the first pair ; the epistoma is less conical, and the male 
has the ¢hree basal joints of the front tarsi forming an elongate 
oval, whitish dise ; the female is said to have the abdomen much 
more ovate (even resembling Syrphus coroll@), and the thorax is 
shining. I found one male among my Rannoch captures, but do 
