188 PROG. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 20, NO. 9, DEC., 1918 more, this species agrees with all the other characters of the original description and with the parasitic habits mentioned in Fauna Suecica. This fact, together with the evidence in the Linnean collection, makes it certain that the species now known as instigator was previously described by Linnaeus as compunctor. The synonymy is therefore: Ephialtes compunctor (Linnaeus). Ichneumon compunctor Linnaeus, Nat. Syst. 10 Ed. 1758, p. 564, n. 31; Fauna Suec. 2 Ed., 1761, p. 403, n. 1609. Ephialtes compunctor Schrank, Fauna Boica, vol. 2, pt. 3, 1802, p. 316. Ichneumon instigator Fabricus, Ent. Syst., vol. 2, 1793, p. 164, no. 126. Pimpla instigator Gravenhorst, Nov. acta acad. nat. Curios, vol. 9, 1818, p. 291; Morley, Brit. Ichneumons 1908, vol. 3, p. 92. The species which has heretofore gone under the name in-stigator is a typical member of the genus Pimplidea Viereck (= Pimpla Authors), and the following generic synonymy is necessary. Ephialtes Schrank 1802 (not Gravenhorst 1829). Syn. Pimplidea Viereck, 1914. The Gravenhorstian genus Ephialtes (1829) is synonymous and isogenotypic with Ichneumon Linnaeus (1758) (See Viereck, Bui. 83, U. S. Nat. Mus., 1914), and must not be confused with Ephialtes Schrank which is much older. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DIPTERA: TABANIDAE. 1 BY W. L. McATEE AND W. R. WALTON. On account of the biting proclivities of most members of the family, the Tabanidae, or horse-flies, are among the few groups of insects that are recognized by the general public. Wherever the biting species occur they are serious pests of wild mammals, domestic stock, and sometimes even of man. African Tabanidae transmit destructive diseases among mankind, but fortunately so far as known American species have assumed no such role. Although the group is recognized by observers not versed in entomology, its richness in species usually is entirely unsus-pected. Ordinary estimates place the number of deer flies at one, and of horse flies at two or three kinds. The facts are quite the 1 For an account of the Syrphidae, sec Proc. Hiol. Soc. Wash. 29,1916, pp. 173-203.
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