8o Indian Museum Notes. [Vol. IV« 



Hippobosca equina, and of which Professor Rondani says in his notes 

 on the " Muscaria Exotica Musei Ctvici Januensis" (p. 15 of the 

 separate issue) that by this the Hippobosca /^gyptiaca, Macq., may 

 be " easily distinguished from all its congeners." Also there was 

 absolute similarity in the elaborate markings on the thorax and in 

 every point in which I was able to make comparison, excepting that 

 the Indian specimens were of rather a darker shade of colour, and 

 also (or consequently) the markings on the hinder legs were more 

 noticeable in those than in ^gyptiaca. 



This matter of difference of shade of colour cannot, 1 think, 

 however, be at all considered to amount to a distinction in species. 

 I find varieties of tint in the numerous specimens of our Hippobosca 

 equina lately sent me, and also it is exceedingly likely that soaking, 

 for some weeks in preservative fluid during transmission, may have 

 affected the depth of the colour. 



But looking at the similarity in other respects, also that the 

 Indian specimens have the peculiar wing neuration by which Pro- 

 fessor Rondani states the ^gyptiaca is distinguishable from " all 

 oi\i&rs" oi the Hippobosca, it appears to me that we may safely 

 consider this kind so common in Bengal and other parts of India as 

 the Hippobosca ^gyptiaca, Macq., or if presently we find there is a 

 permanently darker shade of colouring, perhaps it may be distinc- 

 tively named by Dipterists as the Hippobosca /^gyptiaca, Macq., var, 

 Bengalensis, The species was first recorded in Egypt, but since 

 then has been found in Persia. 



To the above it may be of interest to add that in the course of 

 n;y own continued investigations, I find that the large curved claw 

 of our Forest fly has beneath it a saw-like edge with grooves down 

 the lower part of the side of the claw, so that each groove runs to 

 the notch between each tooth, the claws when laid side by side thus 

 forming a most powerful grasping instrument. This is very notice- 

 able when the claw is got into the right position with a good side 

 light, and examined as a dry object in natural condition, but in 

 balsam or glycerine the grooves are — to me at least- — invisible. 



I trust that the above may be considered of some interest. 



