14 



INSECTS OF SAMOA. 



belong to 0. beccariina Rondani, They differ, however, in the possession of the 

 stout black setae on the hind border of the posterior trochanters. 



' ' ' Ornitheza Speiser. 



At least six species have been referred to this genus, but only one of these 

 is definitely recognisable from the literature ; 0. metallica (Schiner) has been 

 redescribed by Massonat, and, assuming his determination to be correct, is 

 identifiable. 



Ornitheza metallica (Schiner). 



. ■ • ; r Text-figs. 3, 4. 



1864. Omitliomyia metallica Schiner, Fauna Austriaca, II. Theil, p. 646. 



1909. Ornitheza metallica (Schiner), Massonat, Annales de L'Universite 

 de Lyon, N. S. (1), t. 28, pp. 200-295, pi. 1, figs. 11-12. 



1925. Ornitheza ynetallica (Schiner), Ferris, Philippine Journal of Science, 

 Vol. 27, pp. 419-420 ; text-fig. 5. 



Previous records. — From Garrulus glandarius and Ardea cinerea in Europe, 

 and from Emberiza sulphurata in the Philippine Islands. 



Present record. — A male from Aplonis brevirostris, Vailima, Upolu, Samoa, 

 l.i.l925 ; one female from Halcyon jidiae, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 

 21.vii.l925 ; two males from the latter host, Tanna, New Hebrides, ix.l925. 



Notes. — I have figured the female in detail in Phil. Journ. Sci. (loc. cit.), 

 and the specimens from Samoa and the New Hebrides differ from the Philippine 

 one only in exhibiting a somewhat greater degree of hairiness. The scutellum 

 bears four long setae, which do not appear in my figure of the single Philippine 

 specimen which was available, undoubtedly because they were broken off in the 

 latter. There is nothing upon which a separation of the forms could reasonably 

 be based. 



Male (text-fig. 3). Length 3-25 mm. (on shde). In all characters except 

 those of the abdomen closely resembling the female, which I have previously 

 figured, but differing very markedly in the characters of the abdomen. 



Abdomen for the most part membranous, the membranous areas thickly 

 beset with setae of various lengths, each borne upon a small chitinous elevation. 

 Dorsally there is a narrow basal plate extending entirely across the abdomen ; 

 caudad of this there are two oval plates extending across the median third, a 



