( 2 4 ° ) 
paler tips; in the centre there is a line composed of two rows of flat scales 
broadly elliptical but with pointed ends; in colour they vary from a pale 
mauve to silvery-white; on each shoulder behind the prothoracic lobe is a 
patch of spindle-shaped creamy-yellow elliptical scales, and there are few 
spatulate silvery scales in front of the wing; in front of the scutellum the 
narrow-curved scales become very long and lighter brown in colour. 
Scutellum reddish-brown with a broad line of silvery scales in the middle 
which at the base are obovate but towards the apex become longer and 
squarer in shape, and purple scales on either side and on the lateral lobes; 
bristles reddish-brown, as some are denuded their number cannot be 
determined as the scales cover the scars. Pleurae light brown covered 
with flat silvery scales. Wings with brown scales which when massed as 
on the costa are rich purple: median scales consisting of a double row 
closely applied to the vein in shape spatulate being about twice as long as 
broad but varying a little on the different veins, those on the sixth vein 
being smaller and longer in proportion to their breadth ; the lateral scales 
on the branches of the second and fourth veins and on the apical two-thirds of 
the third vein are rather broad and approach a spindle-shape though the ends 
are too blunt, elsewhere the lateral scales are narrower; fork cells long of 
about equal breadth, the first longer than the second, its base nearer the 
wing base, its stem rather less than half the length of the cell; posterior 
cross-vein about half its own length distant from the median. Coxae pale 
brown with broad silvery scales roughly triangular with rounded ends. 
Legs clad with dark purple-brown scales except on the under sides of 
femora which are silvery brown ; ungues simple and equal on all the legs. 
Abdomen .—Dorsally clad with dark purple-brown scales, ventrally 
with silvery scales; laterally there are large triangular silvery spots. 
Male .—The male differs in no way from the female except in the 
genitalia and as these are too much withdrawn to be seen I cannot describe 
them. Like all members of this genus the male has antennae similar to 
those of the female. 
Occurrence .—Described from one male and one female both taken in 
the jungle at “ The Gap.” 
Remarks .—This specimen is easily identified by the breadth of the 
wing scales and the lateral spots on the abdomen. It was caught resting 
on a leaf overhanging a stream in the jungle. They certainly are not 
active blood suckers as I have never known one attack me. 
Topomyia Argentoventralis. n. sp. 
Head with a large pearly-white spot on the vertex very small lateral 
white spots, elsewhere black. Palpi black. Median thoracic stripe does 
not quite reach the base of the scutellum. Prothoracic lobes and shoulders 
white scaled. Pleurae dark brown. Abdomen clad with purple scales and 
brilliant pearly-white scales below which take a yellow tinge from their 
background when the specimen dries; a patch of pearly-white scales on 
the dorsum of second segment and triangular pearly-white spots on each 
side of segments four, five and six, the bar or spot of each nearly meeting its 
fellow of the opposite side on the dorsum. Male with lateral abdominal 
spots much reduced. 
