208 Descriptions of British Diptera. 



abdomen having the anterior half clothed with fulvous hairs, the 

 posterior half with black hairs, the female with a white anal spot ; 

 belly entirely covered with black hairs : base and outer border of 

 the wings for nearly two-thirds of their length brown, the remain- 

 der transparent, with a brown spot at the base of each cell : halteres 

 black : legs pale ferruginous, the tarsi dusky at the extremity. 

 &2~®h proboscis 4|. 



" Middle of April, open places in woods, Norfolk, Essex, and 

 around London." Curtis, Brit. Ent. " In plenty at Enborne, Berks, 

 several years ago, and in Tidworth woods, Hants, May 1829 ; rare 

 at Glanville's Wootton." J. C. Dale, Esq. " Common on sunny 

 banks in the spring ; but the only species of this genus which I 

 have as yet taken in Cambridgeshire." Rev. Leonard Jcnyns. 

 " Cambridge and Bath," C. C. Babinglon, Esq. 



BoMBYLIUS PICTUS. 



Meigen, ii. 198; Mikan, pi. 2, fig. 2 Panzer, Faun. Germ. — Bomb, plaaicornis, 



Fabr. 



Head with dark-brown hairs, the male with two white points over 

 the base of the antennae ; the latter dark-brown, with the third 

 joint flat and very much dilated, ending in a point, but without a 

 distinct style. Thorax clothed with light-brown hairs, changing with 

 the light into white, the back marked with five spots of black hairs, 

 three anteriorly, and two behind ; hairs investing the abdomen 

 dark-brown, the sides with alternate fulvous and black tufts, and 

 the hinder extremity with two white spots : belly black, halteres of 

 the same colour ; wings brown at the base and anterior margin to be- 

 yond the middle ; the rest of the surface transparent and spotted 

 nearly as in B. medius, but many of the spots usually larger ; legs 

 pale ferruginous. 5 lines. 



This insect is admitted on the authority of Mr Stephens, who in- 

 cludes it in his catalogue among our indigenous species ; but we have 

 not ascertained in what part of the country examples occurred. It 

 is no doubt a rare native : it seems doubtful whether it is found in 

 France, and it is considered scarce in Germany, where it was first 

 discovered. 



BOMBYLIUS POSTICUS. 



Fabr. Meigen, ii. 200 Bomb, micans, Meig. Klassif. 



Body black, invested with fulvous hairs : forehead black in the male, 

 inclining to brown in the female, having a white spot on each side in 

 the former sex, and a single spot in the latter : proboscis, palpi and 

 antennas black, the latter with the third joint a little enlarged in the 

 female : the fulvous hairs covering the body have a whitish schim- 



3 



