NO. 1JJ7, .1 RRAXGEMEXT OF THE DIPTERA—COQ UILLE TT. 657 



the rule rather than the exception. Moreover, the position of the 

 antenna! arista is apical in Lonchoptera^ while in the Cyclorliaplia it 

 is with few exceptions dorsal, but in the Orthorhaplia Brachyceni its 

 position is almost without exception apical. The presence of stout 

 bristles likewise indicates a relationship to the Asiloid rather than 

 with the S3'rphoid forms. For these and other reasons that niioht be 

 cited the relationship of the Lonchopterida> is e\idcntly with the 

 Orthorhapha rather than with the Cyclorhapha. 



The form of the head, with the stout, reclinate frontal bristles, as 

 well as the apical position of the antennal arista and the bristly body 

 of tlie Phoridae, indicate a rather close relationship with the preceding 

 family; the agile movements of the Phoridae, their disinclination to 

 take to their wings when disturbed, together with the presence of 

 bristles, ally them with the Dolichopodidae rather than with the 

 Syrphoid group, with which they have sometimes been associated. 

 The venation of the Phoridae is difficult of interpretation, l)ut there 

 are evidenth' three posterior veins, whicli would indicate the presence 

 of four posterior cells, and this would exclude this family from the 

 Cyclorhapha and would naturally indicate still more clearly its 

 relationship with the Lonchopteridae and the remaining families of 

 the Orthorhapha Brachycera. 



The Phoridae naturally lead to the usually bristly Platypezidae, 

 which is accordingly placed at the beginning of the next superfamily, 

 the Sja'phoidea, which differs from the Muscoidea in the greater devel- 

 opment of the anal cell, which is always present and usualh' much 

 longer than the second basal; moreover, the}" are ver}^ seldom provided 

 with macrochaetae, which so often occur in the latter group. The rela- 

 tionships existing between the families are so apparent as to need no 

 further mention. 



Girschner was the lirst to point out the fact that CalllpJiora and 

 several other genera, which had hitherto been placed in the Muscidae, 

 have a perpendicular row of ]>ristles on the hvpopleura, as in the 

 Sarcophagidae, Dexidae, and Tachinidae, while 2lusca and several 

 other genera, like the Anthomyidae, do not have them. Accordingly, 

 Pandelle has very properly removed to the Sarcophagidae the genera 

 with hypopleural bristles; thus the more robust forms with strong 

 bristles are brought together, while the weaker ones with weak Ijristles 

 are retained in the Muscidae, a far more natural arrangement than 

 the one heretofore in use. 



The introduction of superfamilies in the present arrangement is for 

 the purpose of more nearly l)ringing the classitication of the Diptera 

 into harmony with that of the other departments of zoolog}". Among 

 entomologists. Dr. Uhlcr appears to have been the first to employ 

 them, and more recently they have also been used by jSIr. Ashnicnid in 

 his admirable classification of the Hvmenoptera. The superfamilies 

 Proc. N. M. vol. xxiii— A'2, 



