4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 60. 



Longitudinal axis. — A line drawn through the center of the great- 

 est diameter of the piiparium and emerging at the pole or center of 

 the anal end thereof (see drawing fig. 1, pi. 1). 



In view of the purely preliminary character of this paper and the 

 fact that the arrangement of the synopsis is highly artificial, it has 

 been deemed advisable to make use of the nomenclature most familiar 

 to the greater number of workers. The author has reason to believe 

 that the names found in Mr. D. W. Coquillett's " Revision of the 

 Tachinidae" fulfill this requirement, and for this reason they have 

 been adopted; but for the benefit of those who prefer the Town- 

 sendian names, and also for the information of those students who 

 may be unacquainted with the synonymy of the two S3^stems, the 

 names used by Dr. C. H. T. Townsend are given in parentheses im- 

 mediately following the preferred name. 



The obligation of the author to Dr. J. M. Aldrich for his kind 

 assistance in the determination of specimens, as well as for many 

 useful suggestions, is most willingly acknowledged. Doctor Aldrich 

 has also donated valuabl* material from his private collection of the 

 Muscoidean flies. Mr. Harrison E. Smith has been most generous in 

 donations of material, the remainder of which came from the several 

 branches of Cereal and Forage Insect, Deciduous Fruit Insect, and 

 Forest Insect Investigations of the Federal Bureau of Entomology, 

 with the inclusion of some material from the private collection of Mr. 

 W. R. Walton, which has now been presented to the United States 

 National Museum, and where all the material used in the preparation 

 of this paper has been deposited. I am also indebted to Mr. Walton 

 for his many suggestions and his friendly criticism. 



SYNOPSIS OF PUPAL CHARACTERS. 



KEY TO THE GROUPS. 



1. Pupariuru bearing spine-like hairs Group A 



Pnparium without spines 2 



2. Spiracles below the surface of the puparium, in a pit or cavity Group B 



Spiracles above the surface of the puparium, not in a pit or cavity 3 



3. Spiracular .slits resembling brain coral Group C 



Spiracular slits plain or serpentine 4 



4. Spiracular slits serpentine Group D 



Spiracular slits plain (straight or only slightly curved) Group E 



GROUP A. 

 Puparium distinctly hairy: hearing spine-like hairs. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



1. Puparium truncate posteriorly (No. 1) Sturniia sooiahilis Greene. 



Puparium not truncate posteriorly 2 



2. Oblique posteriorly, in profile 3 



Not oblique posteriorly 4 



