XIV PREFACE. 



given synonymies of generic names, and only as fa: as I have 

 been able to verify them ; merely copying previous authors I 

 have avoided, as much as possible. These synonymies will be 

 found very well worked out in Schiner's : Fauna Austriaca, Diptera. 



In looking over Agassiz's Index and Marschall's Nomendator 

 many generic names were found to have been preoccupied in 

 other departments of Zoology, Messrs. Harold and Gemminger 

 (in their Catalogue of Coleoptera) thought that such names 

 could , without inconvenience , be maintained , provided they did 

 not occur in the same order of insects. In order to obviate the 

 possible drawbacks of such a course, without losing its advantages, 

 I hit upon the expedient of modifying such names by the 

 addition of the syllable Neo. Kine generic names have been 

 modified in that way. I do not pretend to impose the names 

 thus formed on dipterology for ever, and look upon them in 

 the light of a postponement of a change. A satisfactory and 

 tolerably permanent settlement of many generic groups among 

 the diptera still belongs to a distant future. ' It does no good 

 therefore, to add scores of new generic names to the large 

 number of useless ones already in existence. 



Such generic names, that are not absolutely identical, but 

 merely resembling, I did not alter. I share the belief of the above 

 quoted authors that such names can, without any inconvenience, 

 remain in use simultaneously, not only in different classes of 

 animals, but even in different orders of insects. For this reason, 

 I have not altered Lasiosoma Winnertz, 1863 (Lasiosomus, 

 Hemipt. 1861), Euparyplws Gerstaecker , 1857 (Euparyj ha 

 Mollusca, 1844), Phortica Schiner, 1862 (Phorticus, Hemipt., 

 1860), Euxesta Loew, 1867 (Euxestus Coleopt., 1858), Eracliy- 

 cleutera Loew, 1862 (Brachydeuterus, Fishes, 1862), Eiiolena 

 Loew r , 1873 (Evolenes, Coleopt., 1853), Peronyma Loew, 1873 

 (Peronymus, Volitantia, 1868), Syntpycmis Loew, 1857 (Sympycna. 

 Neuropt., 1840), Eurosta Loew, 1873 (Eurostus Hemipt. 1863), 

 and some others. 



I have not changed any names on philological grounds, but 

 have adopted some few changes proposed by others, and which 

 I considered reasonable. 



