﻿280 
  ERNEST 
  E. 
  AUSTEN. 
  

  

  The 
  range 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  extends 
  at 
  least 
  into 
  Syria. 
  The 
  type 
  of 
  Chrysops 
  

   punctifera, 
  Lw., 
  which 
  was 
  originally 
  described 
  (Neue 
  Beitrdge 
  zur 
  Kenntniss 
  der 
  

   Dipteren, 
  iv, 
  1856, 
  p. 
  24) 
  from 
  the 
  male 
  alone, 
  was 
  obtained 
  at 
  Beirut. 
  Sub- 
  

   sequently 
  (Verh. 
  k.-h. 
  zool.-bot. 
  Ges. 
  Wien, 
  viii, 
  1858, 
  p. 
  633) 
  Loew, 
  without 
  

   giving 
  precise 
  indication 
  of 
  habitat, 
  stated 
  that 
  he 
  possessed 
  nine 
  males 
  and 
  three 
  

   females 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  from 
  " 
  Syria," 
  and 
  added 
  some 
  notes 
  on 
  the 
  female 
  sex. 
  

   Quite 
  recently, 
  during 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  this 
  paper, 
  the 
  British 
  Museum 
  (Natural 
  

   History) 
  has 
  received 
  three 
  males 
  of 
  Ch. 
  punctifera, 
  taken 
  in 
  Beirut 
  Marshes, 
  

   ll.iv.1919, 
  by 
  the 
  donor, 
  Lt.-Col. 
  E. 
  P. 
  Sewell, 
  C.M.G., 
  D.S.O., 
  R.A.M.C. 
  

  

  Tabaninae. 
  

  

  Genus 
  Haematopota, 
  Meigen. 
  

  

  The 
  twenty-eight 
  specimens 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  obtained 
  by 
  the 
  author 
  in 
  Palestine 
  

   appear 
  to 
  belong 
  to 
  four 
  species, 
  none 
  of 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  identified 
  with 
  any 
  of 
  those 
  

   already 
  known. 
  They 
  are 
  accordingly 
  described 
  as 
  new 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  pages. 
  

   and 
  an 
  attempt 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  to 
  construct 
  a 
  diagnostic 
  table 
  for 
  their 
  distinction. 
  

   Since, 
  however, 
  all 
  but 
  three 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  are 
  apparently 
  conspecific, 
  while 
  

   the 
  remainder, 
  representing 
  as 
  many 
  species, 
  are 
  exclusively 
  females, 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  

   impossible 
  to 
  draw 
  up 
  a 
  synoptic 
  table 
  for 
  both 
  sexes, 
  and 
  the 
  subjoined 
  key 
  

   should 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  purely 
  tentative. 
  

  

  Specimens 
  of 
  Haematopota 
  were 
  met 
  with 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time 
  on 
  22nd 
  April 
  1918, 
  

   on 
  horses 
  near 
  Jericho. 
  None 
  were 
  encountered 
  during 
  the 
  spring 
  and 
  summer 
  

   of 
  1917, 
  and 
  their 
  apparent 
  non-occurrence 
  in 
  the 
  Wadi 
  Grhuzze 
  is 
  somewhat 
  remark- 
  

   able. 
  A 
  noteworthy 
  instance 
  of 
  Syrphid-like 
  hovering 
  in 
  the 
  air 
  by 
  males 
  of 
  

   Haematopota 
  sewelli, 
  sp. 
  n., 
  is 
  recorded 
  on 
  page 
  285. 
  

  

  Key 
  to 
  Species 
  described 
  below. 
  

  

  1(2). 
  First 
  joint 
  of 
  antenna, 
  viewed 
  from 
  side, 
  with 
  a 
  deep 
  preapical 
  groove* 
  on 
  

   upper 
  surface 
  ; 
  femora 
  largely 
  greyish 
  fawn-coloured 
  or 
  greyish 
  cinnamon 
  

  

  sewelli, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  [1]. 
  

  

  2(1). 
  First 
  joint 
  of 
  antenna 
  without 
  such 
  a 
  groove 
  ; 
  femora 
  entirely 
  or 
  mainly 
  

   grey. 
  

  

  3(4). 
  First 
  joint 
  of 
  antenna, 
  viewed 
  from 
  side, 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  swollen. 
  Small 
  or 
  very 
  

   small 
  species 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  minuscularia, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  [2]. 
  

  

  4(3). 
  First 
  joint 
  of 
  antenna, 
  viewed 
  from 
  side, 
  distinctly 
  or 
  strongly 
  swollen. 
  

  

  5(6). 
  First 
  joint 
  of 
  antenna, 
  viewed 
  from 
  side, 
  strongly 
  swollen, 
  its 
  greatest 
  vertical 
  

   diameter 
  greater 
  than 
  or 
  fully 
  equal 
  to 
  half 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  joint 
  ; 
  

   dorsum 
  of 
  abdomen 
  with 
  a 
  broad, 
  grey, 
  border 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  

  

  minuscula, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  [3]. 
  

  

  6(5). 
  First 
  joint 
  of 
  antenna, 
  viewed 
  from 
  side, 
  moderately 
  swollen 
  but 
  elongate, 
  

   its 
  greatest 
  vertical 
  diameter 
  considerably 
  less 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  

   the 
  joint 
  ; 
  dorsum 
  of 
  abdomen 
  with 
  a 
  double 
  row 
  of 
  grey 
  spots, 
  but 
  

   without 
  grey 
  lateral 
  borders 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  innominata, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  [4]. 
  

  

  * 
  Sometimes 
  obscured 
  by 
  hair, 
  in 
  which 
  case 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  difficult 
  to 
  distinguish. 
  If, 
  

   however, 
  the 
  head 
  be 
  examined 
  from 
  the 
  left 
  side, 
  with 
  a 
  hand-lens 
  magnifying 
  about 
  

   5 
  diameters, 
  the 
  groove, 
  if 
  present 
  though 
  indistinguishable 
  in 
  the 
  left 
  antenna, 
  can 
  

   generally 
  be 
  seen 
  distinctly 
  on 
  examining 
  the 
  inner 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  joint 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  

   antenna. 
  

  

  