FAMILY STRATIOMYID/E THE SOLDIER FLIES 135 



changes the spelling but also the meaning. I suspect that Ceoffroy had 

 in mind the mouse-like character of the tyiiical species of the family 

 when he proposed the name, and that he was better aware of his inten- 

 tions in this connection than those who have followed the spelling of 

 Maecpiart. It is unfortunate that such a well known name as CliteUnria 

 Mcigen must be replaced by Adoxomiiia for the American species previ- 

 ously listed under CliteUnria. The other changes are mostly a return 

 to the original spellings or the realignment of genera based upon 

 structural characters. 



The family is a difficult one, the generic limits being, often, difficult 

 to define if they actually exist. Unfortunately I lack representatives of 

 a few of the genera and must rely upon descriptions, so that some char- 

 acters which might be used have, of necessity, been omitted. 



There is great need of a monograph of the American species of this 

 family : my synopsis of the Canadian species* may prove helpful but it 

 contains only keys and these are incomplete for most of the genera. 



KEY TO GENERA 



1. Abdomen with seven visible dorsal segments 2 



Abdomen with five or six segments 9 



2. Three posterior veins or stumps of veins, the third usually arising from 



the discal cell 4 



Four posterior veins or vestiges of them, all arising from the discal 

 cell 3 



3. Posterior femora thickened Necexaireta Osten Sacken 



Posterior femora but little thickened, the posterior tibiae noticeably 



thickened ( 82 ) Actina Meigen 



4. Scutellum with spines or denticulations 6 



Scutellum without spines 5 



5. Third vein branched (33) Allognosta Osten Sacken 



Third vein not branched (1, 87) Chiromyza Wiedemann 



6. Scutellum with fewer than ten spines 7 



Scutellum with ten or twelve spines or teeth 8 



7. Head hemispherical; antennae situated near the middle of the head 



(2, 3) Beris Latreille 



Head not hemispherical; antennae situated well below the middle of the 

 head Berismyia Giglio-Tos. 



8. Scutellar spines long Heteracanthia Macquart 



Scutellum with about twelve short teeth Antissops Enderlein 



9. Three posterior veins, all arising from the discal cell.. 10 



Four posterior veins, the first and third sometimes vestigial but at 



least represented by angulations of the discal cell 22 



* Curran, 1927, Tr. Roy. Soc. Can., Sec. v, 1927, pp. 191-228. 



