AFFINITIES OF THE DIPTEROUS FAMILY PHORID/E. 355 



verse the large posterior expanse. Moreover, the individual 

 veins retain almost the same relative position in these repre- 

 sentatives of the three families. In Olfersia the first, second and 

 third longitudinal veins join the heavy costal vein, which extends 

 for only a part of the wing length, in nearly parallel directions. 



FIG. Olfersia sp., wing, ad, adventitious vein ; 4, fourth vein. 



The fourth is not fused with the third basally, but lies close to it 

 so that the anterior cross-vein is extremely short. Such pre- 

 cisely similar developments are remarkable, and must, I think, be 

 due to some similar tendency to degenerate in certain definite 

 directions. 1 



Be this as it may, I think the evidence is sufficient to show that 

 direct descent from Mycetophilid-like forms is not a logical neces- 

 sity in tracing a genealogy which will account for the similar 

 wing venation of the Phoridas. 



Several other attempts to discover relationships that have been 

 less elaborately worked out are enumerated in the papers by Osten 

 Sacken ('02) and Coquillett ('01). There is no agreement as to 

 whether they belong properly to the Orthorrapha or Cyclor- 

 rapha. Osten Sacken (/. r.) refers them to his orthorraphous 

 superfamily Energopoda which contains the Asilidae, Empididae, 

 Lonchopteridae and Phoridae, while Coquillett has proposed the 

 orthorraphous superfamily Phoroidea to contain the Lonchopter- 

 idae and Phoridae. Mik thought he saw Borborid affinities, as he 

 says ('98, p. 205) : " Aenliche Mundtheilen . . . findet man 

 bei den Borboriden, mit welchen die Phoriden wahrscheinlich 

 nahe verwandt sind." 



The concensus of recent opinion associates the Lonchopteridae 

 and Phoridae together with apparent good reason. The head, 

 form of front with its macrochaetae, proboscis, palpi, antennae with 

 their arista, bristly thorax and legs, large, freely articulated ante- 



1 Such an idea savors of orthogenetic principles, although in an unusual sense, 

 offering an interesting field for speculation, and for comparative studies as well. 



