Genus Toxorhynchites. 145 



blue, while the marginal scales are silver.) Immediately above 

 the occipital foramen are a few fawn-coloured upright scales 

 scarcely notched ; a few sma]l bristles are placed on the vertex 

 which look black or purpie or even golden-brown according to 

 the light. Antennae with the basal segment black, with a 

 silvery tomentum save for a few short white hairs ; the second 

 segment scarcely swollen, light yellowish colour, with a few black 

 spatulate scales on its upper face ; the succeeding segments black 

 with white pubescence ; the verticillate hairs black. CJypeus 

 black with silvery sheen, notched on either side. Palpi short, not 

 more than one-fifth the length of the proboscis, four-jointed (?) ; 

 last segment small and nipple-like. First two segments with 

 golden scales at the sides and beneath ; the two last segments are 

 covered with scales which are coppery or rose-purple according to 

 the angle the light strikes them. The proboscis is long, swollen 

 at the base ; the scales are purple or coppery. Prothoracic lobes 

 small, thickly covered with broad, flat, racquet-shaped scales of a 

 creamy -yellow colour, with some light-brown bristles. Meso- 

 notum black, thickly clad with spindle-shaped flat scales, which 

 laterally become very broad and blunt-ended, and which in a 

 good light appear of a brilliant metallic green to the naked eye 

 in a fresh specimen. Under a lens the colour varies, peacock 

 blue, bronzy purple, and metallic green appearing intermixed, 

 now one colour predominating, now another, as the fly is shifted 

 to different angles. On the anterior margin are some golden 

 scales and numerous golden bristles, and laterally in front, 

 immediately behind the prothoracic lobes, there is a band of 

 metallic rose-purple scales, and beneath this is a triangular patch 

 of creamy-yellow scales. The two patches meet in a straight 

 line, but the external edges are convex ; hence with the pro- 

 thoracic lobe they form a rough ellipse. The upper band is to 

 be seen when looking down upon the mesonotum and is very 

 ornamental. The scutellum is clad with rather long, flat, 

 spatulate scales, which are coppery, bronzy or purple bronze as 

 the direction of the light varies. There is a tuft of bristles over 

 the root of each wing. Scutellar bristles are brown in colour. 

 The pleurae are dark, glistening chestnut brown, naked in parts, 

 scaled in other parts with creamy-yellow scales. The wings are 

 quite typical ; the costa and first long vein are scaled with 

 metallic rose-purple scales. 



Legs with the coxae and femora light yellow. Tibiae and 

 tarsals much darker ; the coxae, bases and under surface of femora 



VOL. IV. L 



