380 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
tennae black, covered with short whitish pile; palpi black, 
thorax velvety black, with an oblique bluish white metallic 
humeral spot, the posterior margin also metallic; scutellum 
velvety black; and pectus black, grayish pruinose. Abdomen 
deep velvety black; on each side on the margin of the first 
abdominal segment is a tuft of fuscous hairs, underneath which 
the segments appear metallic. The posterior part of the venter 
appears metallic. Legs, black and yellow. The extensor sur- 
face of front tibiae, and a basal ring on the middle and hind 
tibiae, silvery white; the fore. coxae, basal half of all femora, 
tibiae and metatarsi, and sometimes also bases of some tarsal 
joints more or less yellowish; the rest black. The anterior tibia 
with a rudimentary spur, middle and hind pair each with two 
spurs; tarsal claws trifid. Halteres orange-yellow; wings whit- 
ish hyaline. Length 2 to 2.5mm. 
Female. Black. Antennae black covered with short whitish 
pile; two basal joints usually yellowish; palpi black with pale 
hairs; face and front gray pollinose. Dorsum of thorax black, 
ckluish gray pollinose, particularly on the sides and front cor- 
ners, sparsely covered with very short yellow hairs. Scutellum 
black, with erect black bristles; pleura black, gray pollinose. 
Abdomen black, the anterior segments velvety, the posterior ones 
subshining brown. Legs yellowish, middle and hind coxae brown, 
tips of femora and tibiae, the whole of fore tarsi, tips of the 
middle and hind, first and second tarsal joints and usually the 
whole of the remaining joints, black. Sometimes the femora 
are wholly black. The extensor surface of all tibiae is silvery 
white. The first and third joints of the fore tarsi are each pro- 
vided with a pair of long black hairs near the tip, besides the 
usual shorter ones. The anterior tibia with rudimentary spur, 
middle and hind ones each with a pair. Tarsal claws simple. 
Wings whitish hyaline, the heavy veins yellowish brown, quite 
yellowish at the base at point of attachment. Halteres pale 
yellow. Length 2 to 3mm. 
This species is very common in the Adirondacks, where it 
proves to be a great annoyance to travelers. It seems to have 
a wide distribution, having been reported by Mr Coquillett? as 
occurring in Canada, New Hampshire, New York, Michigan, 
Minnesota, Wyoming, British Columbia, California, Texas, Lou- 
isiana, Mississippi and Florida. I have found it in Ithaca N. Y., 
and I have seen specimens from Moscow, Marsh and Albion Id., 
and Battle Creek Mich. 
1U. S. Dep’t Agric. Bul. 10, n. s. 2. 1898. 
