2;£0 Descriptions of British Diptera. 



margin of the eyes below the antennae ; the latter wholly testace- 

 ous, the terminal joint appearing of a lighter hue, owing to the ab- 

 sence of the black hairs, with which the others are covered. Tho- 

 rax black, with ash-grey lines ; the sides, shoulders, and usually the 

 scutellum reddish, or pitchy brown : abdomen and legs nearly as in 

 M . buccata ; the dark rings on the latter more or less distinct, the 

 femoral one frequently almost effaced. Wings brownish, each of 

 them with a distinct blackish-point on the cross nerve near the cen- 

 tre. 3f-4. 



This insect seems to appear not unfrequently, but at somewhat 

 uncertain intervals, and on some occasions we have observed it in 

 great profusion. This was particularly the case in the neighbour- 

 hood of Edinburgh, in the summer of 1835, when scarcely a flower- 

 ing plant, especially of the umbelliferous kind, could be examined 

 without rinding specimens. On ordinary occasions, it occurs pretty 

 frequently, apparently in most parts of England and Scotland, and 

 also in Ireland. It is best distinguished from its associates by the 

 brown mark beneath the eye, and the dark discoidal spot on the 

 disk of the wings. " Bottisham, Cambridgeshire., on the flowers of 

 the barberry ; also near Cambridge." Rev. L. Jenyns. " Near 

 London." Stephen's Catal. " Holy wood on Belfast Lough, county 

 Down; not common." A. H. Haliday, Esq. " Jardine Hall, 1837-" 

 Sir W. Jardine, Bart. 



Myopa dorsalis. (s.) 



Fabr. Meigen — Conops testacea, Gmelin — Myopa ferruginea, Panzer, Faun. 

 Germ. xxii. 24 Conops cessans, Harris, Expos, pi. xx. fig. 4. 



Prevailing colour testaceous ; face reddish-yellow, with lighter 

 reflections ; forehead brown : antennae reddish-brown : (upper lip 

 very short, the palpi elongated and cylindrical ;) thorax brown or 

 blackish on the surface, the shoulders and sides of the breast inclin- 

 ing to testaceous : abdomen wholly of the latter colour, rather broad 

 and depressed in the male, the first segment somewhat dusky, the 

 others with pale grey reflections at the incisures ; halteres pale yel- 

 low ; wing-scales white ; wings light-brown, inclining to yellow at 

 the bases ; legs wholly testaceous, the tarsi paler. 5^-6 lines. 



Not a scarce species, occurring on flowers in the months of July 

 and August. 



Myopa ferruginea. (s.) 

 Fabr. Meig. — Conops ferruginea, Linn — Conops buccee, Harris, Expos, pi. xx. 



fig. 5-9. 

 Similar to the preceding, but usually rather less. Head fulvous, 



