AMERICAN DIPTERA, 195 



A MOIWOGRAPH OF THE SfORTH AMEKKAX 

 EMIMDIDJE.s 



BY AXEL LEONARD MELANDER. 



PART L 



Although at the present time a Monograph of the family Empi- 

 didse is not, perhaps, so much needed as that of some other Dipteron 

 families, on account of the revision in 1895 by Mr. D. W. Coquil- 

 lett; yet the material accumulated by Dr. Wm. M. Wheeler during 

 several years, probably the richest collection of Empidid^e on this 

 continent, and which he has kindly relinquished — has turned the 

 writer into this channel. 



Owing to the number of species in this family, it was thought 

 best to publish the work in two parts. For the second part the 

 genus Rhamphomyia alone is left, taking Rhamphomyia in its broad 

 sense as those Empidinse with long proboscis, in which the third 

 vein is unforked. But as this genus is one of the largest of the 

 genera of the animal kingdom, the parts are nearly balanced. 



The fine collection of these flies contains material gathered to- 

 gether by Dr. Wheeler since 1890, representing the endeavors of 

 himself and of Messrs. J. M. Aldrich, C. F. Baker, C. Chagnon, 

 James Hine, G. de N. Hough, C. W. Johnson, G. R. Pilate, W. A. 

 Snow, H. E. Summers, S. W. Williston and Mrs. A. T. Slosson, to 

 all of whom our greatest thanks are due. 



This collection has been supplemented by most of the Empididte 

 gathered for the Biologia Centrali-Americana of Messrs. Godman 

 and Salvin by Messrs, H. H. Smith and F. Gaumer. However, 

 although so rich in material the collection is still far from being 

 complete. Many of the previously described species are not repre- 

 sented. This results not from any negligence on the part of the 

 collectors, but because the regions explored are widely separated, 

 and because, in most cases, the collecting was confined to a few 

 months of the year. The zeal of the collectors is apparent from the 

 fact that of the one hundred and ninety species (omitting some of the 

 unrecognizable ones of Francis Walker) described before our work 



* Contribution from the Zoological Laboratory of the Univ. of Texas. No. 26. 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XXVIII. (25*) JULY. 1902. 



