New Australian Tabanidae. 9 



This genus is proposed for a species from Victoria which can- 

 not be referred to any of the previously described ones. The 

 2 has a broad, irregularly grooved forehead very reminiscent of 

 EctenopsiSj but the palpi are very different, and the whole insect 

 has a broader facies. The antennae might be regarded as hav- 

 ing the third joint, five or eight segmented; in the type £ , under 

 the microscope (and to a less extent with a hand lens) the apex 

 ■of the basal portion of the third joint appears very indistinctly 

 divided into three annuli ; in the other ? , this subdivision is 

 still more distinct, while in the $ this portion of the joint ap- 

 pears unsegmented. It seems to me that the genus is one in 

 which the antennae are in process of being converted from an 

 eight annulate third joint to a five annulate, by a process of fusion 

 •of the four basal annuli. 



Regarding the third joint as five annulate the genus may be 

 distinguished from Silvius by the shape of the palpi. If the 

 third joint be regarded as eight annulate the genus would fall 

 in the same group as Ectenopsis and Demoplatus; from all the 

 members of which, excepting possibly Palimmecomyia; the genus 

 may be separated by its hairy eyes and short palpi. I do not 

 think this genus can be the same as Palimmecomyia, as judging 

 from the description the antennae are' different, and apparently 

 have a distinctly eight annulate third joint. 



Parasilvius fulvus, n.sp. 



£ Long: — 11 mm., a second 2 15 mm. 



Face protuberant, bounded on each side by deep grooves, 

 .bright yellow with fine scanty pubescence ; beard yellow ; palpi 

 very short, yellow, first joint briefly oval almost rounded in out- 

 line, the lower surface convex, clothed with long yellow hairs, 

 second joint short, slender, subcylindrical, ending in a blunt 

 point, with short black hairs most thickly set at apex ; proboscis 

 of moderate length, slightly longer than head ; antennae reddish 

 yellow, the first two joints paler, annuli black at tip, first two 

 joints with a few black hairs at apices, third joint transverse 

 subquadrate at base, thence subulate, with very indistinct traces 

 of three annulations followed by four distinct annuli. Fore- 

 head irregularly grooved on each side of middle, distinctly wider 

 anteriorly than at vertex, yellow, clothed with yellow tomentum 

 and extremely scanty pubescence ; ocelli conspicuous with some 

 black hairs, on ocellary triangle ; eyes with very short hairs, 

 facets equal. Thorax deep brown, shoulders yellow ; clothed with 



