﻿TABANIDAE — PART I. 135 



Genus Hippocentrum, Austen. 



Hippocentrum murphyi, sp. n. (fig. 7.) 



Q. — Length (2 specimens) 11*5 to 12 mm. ; width of head 3*75 mm. ; width 

 of front at vertex just over 1 mm. ; length of wing 11 mm. 



Black or clove-brown ; median portion of face dark mouse-grey pollinose ; 

 terminal joint of palpi narrower, more elongate, and less shining on outer side 

 than in H. trimaculatum, Newstead, or H. versicolor, Austen ; icings dark 

 sepia-coloured, with (at least in type and para-type) only tJie faintest possible 

 (scarcely discernible) vestiges of light markings, proximal portion of wings paler ; 

 legs black, proximal third of front and hind tibiae, rather less than proximal half of 

 middle tibiae, and first joint of middle and hind tarsi except distal third cream- 

 coloured. 



Fig. 7. — Hippocentrum murphyi, Austen, £ . X 4 ; a, head in profile, 

 to show shape of terminal joint of palpi. 



Head : front shining black, with a pair of oblique depressions, which are 

 divergent below and meet inner margins of eyes, enclosing between them an 

 elevated area which is roughly triangular in outline and has its blunt apex 

 directed upwards ; a dull black spot between bases of antennae ; sides of face 

 shining black ; occiput dull slate-grey ; palpi clove-brown, blackish at tips and 

 clothed on outer side with blackish hair, terminal joint elongate, flattened on 

 outer side on rather less than basal half and only moderately shining ; first joint 

 of antennae burnt-umber-coloured, clothed with blackish hair, moderately stout 

 and of uniform thickness except at extreme base, second and third joints clove- 

 brown, last three annuli of third joint sometimes appearing darker than expanded 

 portion. Thorax : dorsum blackish clove-brown, greyish pollinose in front, area 

 immediately above base of each wing paler ; pleurae and pectus slate-grey, 

 thinly clothed with whitish hair. Abdomen : dorsum clove-brown, first three 

 segments sometimes paler, second and third segments narrowly grey at extreme 

 base ; hairy covering of dorsum black, short and appressed on second and four 



