﻿CONTRIBUTION 
  TO 
  KNOWLEDGE 
  OF 
  TABANIDAE 
  OF 
  PALESTINE. 
  299 
  

  

  on 
  the 
  abdomen, 
  particularly 
  on 
  the 
  venter, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  dark 
  brown 
  

   costal 
  border 
  on 
  the 
  wing, 
  extending 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  to 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   stigma, 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  broad 
  dark 
  brown 
  blotch 
  behind 
  the 
  latter. 
  

  

  4. 
  Tabanus 
  gigas, 
  Herbst. 
  

  

  Two 
  (JcJ 
  : 
  one 
  near 
  Jerisheh, 
  5 
  miles 
  N.-E. 
  of 
  Jaffa, 
  16.V.1918, 
  hovering 
  above 
  

   low 
  hill, 
  9*15 
  a.m. 
  (one 
  other 
  specimen 
  seen) 
  ; 
  the 
  other 
  in 
  marsh 
  1 
  mile 
  S.-E. 
  of 
  

   Tel 
  Abu 
  Zeitun 
  (within 
  1J 
  mile 
  of 
  spot 
  at 
  which 
  foregoing 
  specimen 
  was 
  taken), 
  

   18.V.1918, 
  on 
  flower 
  (one 
  other 
  example 
  seen). 
  

  

  This 
  strikingly 
  handsome 
  species, 
  in 
  which, 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  

   individuals 
  recorded 
  above, 
  the 
  eyes 
  in 
  life 
  are 
  purplish 
  black, 
  without 
  bands, 
  

   is 
  already 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  Museum 
  collection 
  by, 
  among 
  other 
  specimens, 
  

   a 
  (J 
  from 
  Galilee 
  (B. 
  T. 
  Lowne, 
  1863-64). 
  Statements 
  by 
  Brauer 
  (Benkschr. 
  k. 
  

   Akad. 
  Wiss., 
  Bd. 
  xlii, 
  1880, 
  p. 
  165) 
  show 
  that 
  Tabanus 
  gigas 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  France, 
  

   Austria, 
  Greece, 
  Sicily, 
  Russia, 
  Syria 
  and 
  Asia 
  Minor, 
  while 
  the 
  series 
  in 
  the 
  

   Museum 
  includes 
  specimens 
  from 
  Italy 
  and 
  Bulgaria. 
  

  

  In 
  length, 
  the 
  two 
  individuals 
  taken 
  by 
  the 
  writer 
  measure 
  respectively 
  19 
  and 
  

   18*5 
  mm. 
  ; 
  their 
  dimensions 
  are 
  therefore 
  somewhat 
  less 
  than 
  those 
  given 
  by 
  

   Brauer 
  (loc. 
  cit.), 
  according 
  to 
  whom 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  (J 
  is 
  20 
  mm., 
  while 
  that 
  of 
  

   the 
  $ 
  may 
  be 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  23 
  mm. 
  The 
  variability 
  of 
  Tabanus 
  gigas 
  as 
  regards 
  

   the 
  coloration 
  of 
  the 
  hairy 
  covering 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  body, 
  and 
  legs, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  

   country 
  of 
  origin, 
  is 
  dealt 
  with 
  at 
  some 
  length 
  by 
  Loew 
  (Verh. 
  z.-b. 
  Ges. 
  Wien, 
  Bd. 
  

   viii, 
  1858, 
  pp. 
  582-583), 
  who 
  refers 
  to 
  the 
  species 
  under 
  its 
  synonym 
  T. 
  albipes, 
  

   Fabr. 
  Although 
  the 
  two 
  specimens 
  recorded 
  above 
  as 
  having 
  been 
  caught 
  

   respectively 
  on 
  16. 
  v. 
  and 
  18.V.1918 
  were 
  captured 
  within 
  less 
  than 
  a 
  mile 
  and 
  a 
  

   half 
  of 
  each 
  other, 
  they 
  nevertheless 
  show 
  considerable 
  colour-differences 
  of 
  the 
  

   kind 
  indicated. 
  While 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  £ 
  taken 
  in 
  Tel 
  Abu 
  Zeitun 
  marsh 
  the 
  pale 
  

   hair 
  on 
  the 
  head, 
  thorax, 
  tibiae 
  and 
  first 
  two 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  rich 
  

   ochreous 
  tint, 
  the 
  corresponding 
  hair 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  specimen 
  is 
  much 
  

   lighter 
  in 
  hue, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  tibiae 
  and 
  the 
  hind 
  border 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  abdominal 
  

   segment 
  is 
  even 
  almost 
  white. 
  The 
  individual 
  with 
  the 
  paler 
  hair 
  also 
  shows 
  a 
  

   median 
  triangular 
  patch 
  of 
  whitish 
  hair 
  on 
  the 
  hind 
  border 
  of 
  the 
  third 
  abdominal 
  

   tergite, 
  and 
  a 
  smaller 
  number 
  of 
  yellowish 
  or 
  ochreous 
  hairs 
  in 
  the 
  corresponding 
  

   position 
  on 
  the 
  following 
  three 
  tergites. 
  These 
  patches 
  of 
  pale 
  hairs 
  are 
  entirely 
  

   wanting 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  specimen, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  paler 
  fringe 
  to 
  the 
  anal 
  region 
  is 
  

   represented 
  by 
  but 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  number 
  of 
  ochreous 
  hairs. 
  

  

  5. 
  Tabanus 
  mendicus, 
  Villen. 
  

  

  One 
  £ 
  : 
  Ain 
  Sinia, 
  10 
  miles 
  N. 
  of 
  Jerusalem, 
  18.iv.1918, 
  on 
  bank 
  of 
  stream, 
  

   only 
  specimen 
  seen 
  (Captain 
  K. 
  B. 
  Williamson, 
  R.A.M.G.). 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  living 
  insect 
  the 
  eyes 
  were 
  bronze, 
  with 
  three 
  horizontal, 
  dark 
  purple 
  

   bands, 
  the 
  lowest 
  the 
  broadest, 
  the 
  middle 
  one 
  narrow. 
  

  

  The 
  type 
  of 
  this 
  somewhat 
  unusual-looking 
  species 
  (a 
  $, 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  Oasis 
  

   of 
  Damascus, 
  in 
  the 
  second 
  fortnight 
  in 
  April) 
  is 
  not 
  inaptly 
  compared 
  by 
  

   Villeneuve 
  (Bull. 
  Soc. 
  Amis 
  Sc. 
  Nat. 
  Rouen 
  (5) 
  xlvii, 
  1912, 
  pp. 
  41-42) 
  to 
  a 
  

   tiny 
  example 
  of 
  Tabanus 
  (Atylotus) 
  gigas, 
  Herbst. 
  The 
  specimen 
  from 
  Ain 
  

  

  