234 E. W. FERGUSON. 



the same locality. Further specimens of this species had 

 been received in January from Mount Irvine, (Mr. Darnell 

 Smith), and in March a specimen was received from Went- 

 wortli Falls, (Miss Smith). A second species was discovered 

 on Milson Island, Hawkesbury River on April 10th. It 

 was present in considerable numbers though not noticed 

 on the week ends immediately preceding and following this 

 date. On May 24th Dr. Oleland met with two further 

 species on the Mangrove Mount Road near Gosford. A 

 single specimen of one of these was taken by myself at 

 Milson Island on June 3rd, while the other was met with 

 by Dr. Oleland near Mount Wilson on June 5th. With the 

 exception of S. clelandi which occurs on the mountains in 

 summer, all the species are autumn or winter species and 

 possibly only come out for a limited period. They are all 

 bush flies and are found on the sandstone ridges and not in 

 the gullies. 



The discovery of a genus of Leptidse whose members all, 

 so far as known, possess the blood-sucking habit, is of 

 interest, not only from the potentialities of the species for 

 conveying disease, but also because blood-sucking flies 

 belonging to this family are extremely rare in other parts 

 of the world. According to Austen there are four blood- 

 sucking species belonging to three genera. Of these, 

 Symphoromyia is an American species, Leptis scolopacea 

 and L. strigosa are found in France and appear only occas- 

 ionally to suck blood, while the fourth species — Tricho- 

 palpus obscurus — is a Chilian species. 



Only female specimens of Spaniopsis have so far been 

 obtained, and the blood-sucking habit appears to be con- 

 fined to this sex. Austen states that both sexes of L. 

 scolopacea are said to have been observed to bite in France, 

 though neither has been known to do so in the British 

 Isles. When attacking for the purpose of blood-sucking, 



