﻿278 
  MAJOR 
  E. 
  E. 
  AUSTEN. 
  

  

  exhibited 
  by 
  one 
  of 
  Major 
  Fraser's 
  specimens 
  from 
  Ramadi. 
  In 
  the 
  other 
  example 
  

   from 
  the 
  same 
  locality 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  $ 
  from 
  Hit 
  the 
  dorsum 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen 
  is 
  practically 
  

   unicolorous 
  pinkish 
  buff 
  or 
  light 
  ochraceous-buff, 
  though 
  in 
  the 
  former 
  specimen 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  trace 
  of 
  a 
  dark 
  blotch 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  anterior 
  border 
  of 
  the 
  fourth 
  and 
  

   two 
  following 
  tergites, 
  while 
  the 
  specimen 
  from 
  Hit 
  shows 
  an 
  ill-defined 
  dusky 
  median 
  

   blotch 
  on 
  the 
  second 
  (visible) 
  tergite. 
  As 
  regards 
  dark 
  leg-markings, 
  the 
  Mesopotamian 
  

   specimens 
  exhibit 
  considerable 
  reduction 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  those 
  from 
  Khorasan 
  

   and 
  Afghanistan 
  ; 
  in 
  particular 
  the 
  blackish-brown 
  area 
  at 
  the 
  distal 
  extremities 
  

   of 
  the 
  front 
  tibiae 
  is 
  much 
  less 
  extensive, 
  while 
  the 
  front 
  tarsi, 
  instead 
  of 
  being 
  

   uniformly 
  black 
  or 
  blackish 
  brown, 
  have 
  the 
  first 
  segment 
  blackish 
  brown 
  only 
  at 
  

   the 
  tip, 
  while 
  the 
  following 
  three 
  segments 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  distinctly 
  ochraceous- 
  

   buff 
  at 
  the 
  base. 
  The 
  first 
  and 
  second 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  antennae 
  are 
  also 
  less 
  infus- 
  

   cated 
  in 
  the 
  Mesopotamian 
  examples 
  than 
  in 
  those 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  typical 
  series. 
  

   While 
  it 
  is 
  clear, 
  however, 
  that, 
  in 
  markings 
  at 
  any 
  rate, 
  S. 
  irritans 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  

   variation 
  in 
  different 
  parts 
  of 
  its 
  area, 
  there 
  can 
  here 
  be 
  no 
  question 
  of 
  specific 
  difference, 
  

   as 
  is 
  at 
  once 
  evident 
  on 
  examining 
  the 
  frontal 
  callus 
  and 
  the 
  four 
  small 
  bare 
  flecks 
  

   near 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  antennae 
  (fig. 
  2). 
  

  

  Silvias 
  unicolor, 
  Becker, 
  the 
  identity 
  of 
  which 
  with 
  S. 
  irritans, 
  Ric, 
  leaves 
  no 
  room 
  

   for 
  doubt, 
  would 
  appear 
  to 
  represent 
  a 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  with 
  unicolorous 
  abdomen 
  

   and 
  femora 
  marked 
  with 
  broad 
  brown 
  bands 
  on 
  their 
  distal 
  halves, 
  or 
  even 
  more 
  

   extensively 
  infuscated. 
  The 
  four 
  $$ 
  constituting 
  the 
  typical 
  series 
  of 
  this 
  variety 
  

   were 
  obtained 
  in 
  Persian 
  Baluchistan. 
  

  

  Genus 
  Chrysops, 
  Meigen. 
  

   Chrysops 
  simiiiima, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  (fig. 
  3). 
  

  

  o. 
  — 
  Length 
  (two 
  specimens), 
  7-75 
  to 
  8-6 
  mm. 
  ; 
  width 
  of 
  head, 
  2-4 
  to 
  2-5 
  mm. 
  ; 
  

   width 
  of 
  front 
  at 
  vertex, 
  0-8 
  to 
  1 
  mm. 
  ; 
  length 
  of 
  wing, 
  6-5 
  to 
  7-4 
  mm. 
  

  

  In 
  $ 
  sex, 
  at 
  any 
  rate, 
  very 
  closely 
  resembling 
  C. 
  punctifera, 
  Lw. 
  ; 
  agreeing 
  therewith 
  

   in 
  coloration 
  of 
  body 
  and 
  legs 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  abdominal 
  markings, 
  but 
  distinguishable 
  by 
  

   the 
  wing-markings 
  {fig. 
  3), 
  in 
  which, 
  while 
  they 
  present 
  a 
  general 
  agreement 
  with 
  those 
  

   of 
  the 
  species 
  mentioned, 
  the 
  proximal 
  infuscation 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  basal 
  cell 
  is 
  confined 
  to 
  

   the 
  extreme 
  base 
  instead 
  of 
  occupying 
  at 
  least 
  half 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  cell. 
  When 
  examples 
  

   of 
  C. 
  simiiiima 
  are 
  compared 
  with 
  Palestine 
  specimens 
  of 
  C. 
  punctifera, 
  the 
  hair 
  on 
  the 
  

   dorsum 
  of 
  the 
  thorax 
  [including 
  the 
  scutellum) 
  appears 
  shorter 
  and 
  paler, 
  while 
  the 
  front 
  

   tibiae 
  [viewed 
  from 
  the 
  side) 
  are 
  more 
  swollen 
  ; 
  in 
  a 
  comparison 
  with 
  Algerian 
  

   representatives 
  of 
  C. 
  punctifera, 
  however, 
  these 
  differences 
  are 
  less 
  noticeable. 
  

  

  Head 
  pale 
  olive-buff 
  pollinose, 
  clothed 
  with 
  similarly 
  coloured 
  or 
  pale 
  yellowish 
  

   hair, 
  which 
  is 
  longer 
  on 
  basioccipital 
  region 
  ; 
  front 
  in 
  $ 
  slightly 
  broader 
  at 
  its 
  lower 
  

   extremity 
  than 
  at 
  vertex 
  ; 
  frontal 
  callus 
  shining 
  black, 
  transversely 
  elongate, 
  fusiform 
  

   or 
  elliptical 
  oval 
  with 
  blunted 
  ends, 
  about 
  twice 
  as 
  wide 
  as 
  its 
  greatest 
  depth, 
  but 
  

   widely 
  separated 
  from 
  eye 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  ; 
  ocelli 
  surrounded 
  by 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  sharply 
  

   defined, 
  blackish 
  area 
  ; 
  face 
  with 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  shining, 
  sepia-coloured 
  facial 
  tubercles, 
  

   each 
  connected 
  with 
  lower 
  margin 
  of 
  clypeus 
  by 
  usual 
  narrower 
  downward 
  extension 
  ; 
  

   jowls 
  with 
  a 
  larger 
  or 
  smaller 
  shining 
  black 
  area 
  below 
  (not 
  in 
  contact 
  with) 
  each 
  eye 
  ; 
  

   proximal 
  segment 
  of 
  palpi 
  neutral 
  grey 
  or 
  smoke-grey, 
  clothed 
  with 
  hair 
  similar 
  to 
  

   that 
  on 
  adjacent 
  region 
  of 
  head, 
  distal 
  segment 
  cinnamon-buff 
  or 
  tawny-olive, 
  

   moderately 
  swollen 
  proximally, 
  then 
  acuminate, 
  clothed 
  on 
  outer 
  side 
  with 
  short 
  

   glistening, 
  pale 
  hairs 
  ; 
  first 
  segment 
  of 
  antennae 
  ochraceous-tawny 
  (sometimes 
  brownish 
  

   at 
  distal 
  extremity), 
  elongate, 
  straight 
  and 
  cylindrical, 
  not 
  swollen, 
  clothed 
  above 
  with 
  

   minute 
  black 
  hairs 
  and 
  below 
  with 
  pale 
  hairs, 
  second 
  segment 
  blackish 
  brown 
  (some- 
  

   times 
  paler 
  at 
  base), 
  about 
  one-sixth 
  shorter 
  than 
  first 
  segment 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  similar 
  

   hairy 
  covering, 
  third 
  segment 
  black, 
  rather 
  longer 
  than 
  first. 
  Thorax 
  : 
  dorsum, 
  

   including 
  scutellum, 
  light 
  olive-grey 
  pollinose, 
  pleurae, 
  pectus, 
  and 
  a 
  broad 
  lateral 
  

   border 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  scutum 
  pale 
  olive-buff 
  pollinose, 
  dorsum 
  with 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  broad, 
  

  

  