Descriptions of British Diptera. 367 



Tabanus tropicus, (s.) 

 Linn. Fabr. De Geer vi. pi. 12, fig. 15-22. Samouelle's Comp. pi. 9, fig. 4. 

 Meig. Zwei. ii. 61. Harris' Expos, pi. vii. 2 (J. 



Palpi and hypostome dark grey in the male, yellowish-grey in 

 the female, the forehead of the latter yellow, with a hlack callosity 

 at the base, a narrow black line in the middle, and a shining point 

 of the same colour on the crown ; antennae ferruginous, the apex 

 dark brown : eyes green, with three transverse rays of purple : tho- 

 rax shining dark brown, with indistinct dorsal grey lines, the pu- 

 bescence in the male nearly black on the back, and brown on the 

 sides, but entirely ferruginous in the female : abdomen black, the 

 four first segments widely fulvous at the sides, with whitsh reflex- 

 ions in the male, the centre with a dark stripe variable in breadth, 

 sometimes bearing traces of a pale triangular spot at the hinder edge 

 of the segments ; the latter edged with fulvous ; belly fulvous, dusky 

 behind, the hairs round the sides black in the male, fulvous in the 

 female : thighs dark brown ; tibiee ferruginous, the anterior brown 

 before the middle, the others generally somewhat dusky at the 

 apex, the intermediate pair with divergent hairs in the male ; tarsi 

 black ; winglets yellowish-brown, halteres dusky, the extremity of 

 the knob white ; wings pale brownish -grey, the anterior margin and 

 nervures yellowish-brown. 7f — 8 lines. 



This handsome species, which is one of the most common belong- 

 ing to the genus in many of the more northern parts of the conti- 

 nent, is found occasionally throughout Britain, but is probably more 

 plentiful in Scotland than in the southern districts of the island. 



" Near London," Stephens's Catal. ■" Cramond, near Edinburgh," 

 Rev. William Little. i! Near Berwick," Dr Johnston. " Roxburgh- 

 shire, and Pentland Hills," Mr Duncan. " Cardoness, Kirkcud- 

 brightshire." 



Tabanus rusticus. (s.) 

 Fabr. Gmelin, Panzer, Fauna Germ. xiii. 21. ; Meig. Zwei. ii. 60. 



Male : blackish, covered with yellowish-grey hairs ; hypostome 

 and palpi light yellowish -grey ; antennae pale ferruginous, with the 

 apex dusky j eyes of a uniform pale green colour ; thorax and ab- 

 domen densely clothed with whitish-grey hairs, sometimes inclining 

 to yellow ; breast and anterior portion of the belly light slate-grey, 

 the hinder part of the latter dull yellow : thighs grey, black at the 

 extremity ; tibiae yellow ; anterior tarsi black, the hinder pair yel- 

 low with the apex black ; wings hyaline, the exterior border tinged 

 with yellow. 



Female : forehead light yellowish-grey, with two shining black 

 points, the upper one near the middle, and sometimes prolonged be- 



