170 
BRAUER AND MIK 
of orientation of the imago : Orthorrhapha JVemocera, Orthorrhapha 
Brachycera , and Cyclorrhapha Aihericera. 
In the already quoted passage in the “Monographic der Oestriden,” 
1863, p. 32-34, Brauer announced the result of his researches in 
natural and unassuming language. “ I am too little acquainted 
with all the divisions of Diptera to introduce a new system, and 
it would lead me too far at present. I merely intend to call atten¬ 
tion to something which, so far as I know, has not been mentioned 
before.” But since 1863, elated by the excessive praise, amount¬ 
ing to adulation, of his friends, Brauer gradually underwent the 
transformation which became apparent after the death of Loew, 
and his own appointment as Custodian of the dipterological collec¬ 
tion in the Museum of Vienna. In 1880 began the publication of 
his quartos, in which he displayed his entire incapacity for syste¬ 
matic dipterology, and thus, for a mirage of ambition, marred his 
fame for a brilliant and, in its way, unique career in the biology 
of insects! 
This chapter on Brauer had been written long ago when, in June, 
1901, the Vienna Zoological Botanical Society did me the honor to 
send me the volume: “ Botanik und Zoologie in Oesterreich in 
den Jahren 1850 bis 1900,” published on the occasion of the fiftieth 
anniversary of its foundation. In this monumental work, intended 
for history, the compilation of the paragraph on Diptera (p. 344- 
348) was of course entrusted to Brauer. With his usual careless¬ 
ness, he apparently accomplished this task off-hand, from memory, 
and without consulting any literary documents. About Schiner, 
his compatriot and collaborator, he has this: “Any one who, like 
the writer of these lines, was acquainted with Schiner in 1850 and 
knew that at that time Diptera were entirely unknown to him (he 
studied ornithology and botany), will appreciate the energy and 
application that enabled him, in 1862, to publish the first volume 
of his “ Fauna Austriaca, Diptera.” 
I find in Hagen’s “Bibliotheca Entomologica,” Vol. II, p. 124, 
that Schiner’s first publication is dated 1851, and consists of a 
“List of beetles, new for the Austrian fauna, and not contained 
in Redtenbacher’s work.” The date of 1851 of this publication 
