— 12 — 



Transvaal : Walker Spruit, near Pretoria, December 1920-January 



1921 (H. K. Munro); Alexander collection. 

 Madagascar : Tananarive, 1916 (Waterlot); Paris Muséum. 



The accompanying notes on the habits of thèse flies by my friend 

 and colleague, Mr. H. K. Munro, are given : 



« This species is fairly widespread in South Africa, but in my 

 expérience it appears to be more particularly a « high-veld » form. 

 That is to say, it is much more abundant in the open plateau of the 

 Transvaal (3000-5000 feet) than in the lower coastal forest belt. 

 Even in the high veld I hâve not found it numerous among trees and 

 bushes but the localities it especially favors are along small streams 

 away from trees. Hère it often occurs in great numbers among the 

 rank grass, the more so when the stream or « spruit » is in a furrow 

 caused by water érosion and hence is more or less protected from the 

 wind. The species can be found throughout the summer, but is most 

 numerous in December and January. 



Maies are invariably more numerous than the females, and, in 

 large swarms of the insects, only a few females are to be found, each 

 having several maies in atendance. The insects (maies) are quiet and 

 remain resting on the grass, with the wing folded over the abdomen. 

 When disturbed, however, they fly off quickly. The only times I 

 hâve observed females, they hâve been clinging to grass stems with 

 maies dancing about. » H. K. Munro. 



TIPULINyE 



GENUS MEGISTOCERA WIEDEMANN. 



MEGISTOCERA FILIPES (Fabricius), 



1805 Tipula filipes Fabricius; Syst. Antl. p. 25. 



This striking crane-fly is now know to be very widely distributed 

 in tropical Africa. Megistocera bicauda Speiser and M. hirsuta 

 Alexander should be considered as synonyms. 



The following unrecorded stationes are given : 

 Dahomey : Porto Novo, 1909-1912 (Waterlot); Paris Muséum. 

 Nigeria : Obuasi (W. M. Graham); British Muséum. 



