2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 7-J 



origin of these groups, and their connections with others found in 

 the same faunal regions. In other words, I consider that a genus 

 should contain closely related forms, how close being a matter for 

 decision by a number of competent workers, and not a heterogenous 

 collection of diverse forms, so that the occurrence of a species of 

 such genus will have more significance than where a member of a 

 heterogenous concept occurs. 



The most comprehensive paper on Philippine Sapromyzidae is that 

 by Dr. R. Frey w^hich appeared in 1927.^ It contains records of 

 54 species, 27 of them new^ to science. I have gone carefully over this 

 paper and have succeeded in identifying a number of the species in 

 the material in my possession, but several are yet unknown to me. In 

 the present paper I indicate certain synonyms as the result of Doctor 

 Frey's w^ork and also relocate some of his species. The genera 

 unknown to me are briefly discussed also. 



While all o«f the systematic entomological work on Philippine 

 species has up to the present been done by European and American 

 workers, it is certain that in the near future some capable Philippine 

 students will undertake this work; and in the present paper I have 

 attempted to utilize the most dependable characters for the sei)aration 

 of the species so that even without access to type specimens it may 

 be possible for a careful and efficient worker to confidently identify 

 those included in this paper. 



The reason for introducing so many extralimital species in the key 

 is that, though as yet unrecorded from the Philippines, it is not at 

 aU certain that many of them do not occur there, because the col- 

 lecting that has been done has been by no means intensive, and the 

 fact that about twice as many species are known from the Nederland 

 Indies as are recorded from the Philippines appears to me a sa<fe 

 premise from which to deduce that many more Philippine sj^ecies 

 have yet to be discovered, and probably many of these will be iden- 

 tical with species occurring in adjacent or even distant islands in the 

 same region. 



The figures of the male hypopigia are presented as the most depend- 

 able specific indices, and this, series is the most extensive ever pub- 

 lished for this family. 



Tlie original intention was to publish this paper in the Philippine 

 Journal of Science, but this plan was changed by the death of 

 Prof. C. F. Baker and the acquisition of his collection by the United 

 States National Museum. To make the collection as complete as pos- 

 sible, I waive any claim to the type specimens of the Philippine 

 species collected bj'^ Professor Baker and deposit them in the National 

 Collection. 



* Acta Soc. Faun. Flor. Fennlca, vol. ijO, No. 8. pp. 44. 



