NO. 1938. THE DIPTEROUS FAMILY PHORID.^—MALLOCH. 415 



CLASSIFICATION. 



It is almost impossible to adopt an unfailing system for descrif)- 

 tions, so that one unacquainted with the family may work out the 

 species, and different writers have adopted different characters for 

 arranging them, so that it is sometimes almost impossible to tell 

 what species is intended from the description; but in the following 

 tables I have used those characters only which are generally recog- 

 nized as reliable, and endeavored to keep clear as much as possible 

 of the use of those characters that are variable in compiling my 

 tables. Color is not an unfailing guide, nor is the number of scu- 

 tellar bristles so constant that it ma}' be used with entire confidence ; 

 but when necessary I have introduced species into the tables under 

 both "black or brown," and "yellow" or with "two" or "four scu- 

 tellar bristles." So many species are new to science in the collection 

 that it is deemed necessary to give tables and descriptions of all the 

 species, described and undescribed. 



I have added at end of this paper descriptions of some of the 

 exotic Phoridse in the collection, but have not included them in the 

 tables, as that might unnecessarily involve matters when anyone 

 endeavored to identify native Phoridse by the use of these tables. 

 It is not probable that any of those species occur in America. 



Several important changes in nomenclature are proposed in this 

 paper, for all of which I consider there is a necessity, owing to our 

 increased knowledge of the group and the desirability of having 

 matters of this kind on as reliable a basis as possible. 



TABLE OP GENERA. 



1. At least mid tibiae with preapical spines other than the terminal spurs 2, 



Mid tibiae without spines other than the apical spurs 8. 



2. Third vein forked, generally two spines at basal third of mid tibia 3. 



Third vein unforked 6. 



3. Seventh vein (fourth thin vein) absent, or indistinct and abbreviated. 



Trupheoneura, p. 417. 

 Seventh vein distinct and complete. 4. 



4. Third longitudinal vein bristly on its whole length, the bristles very short and 



lying close to vein surface Chsetoneurophora, p. 422. 



Third longitudinal vein without such close lying bristles, generally entirely bare. 5. 



5. Mid tibia with two strong spines on basal third and one at about apical third, 



hind tibiae with a variable number of spines, costa to middle, fourth vein dis- 

 tinctly curved at origin Paraspiniphora, p. 425. 



Mid tibia with two spines at basal third and one small one at near apex, hind 

 tibia generally with short hair-like bristles on antero-dorsal surface in addition 

 to any bristles that may be present, costa short, fourth vein nearly straight, 

 proboscis enlarged in females of some species Dohrniphora, p. 430. 



6. Velvet black species, middle tibiae with several long dorsal spines, frontal 



bristles arranged in two upper rows of four each and two lower rows of two each, 

 irons in male very narrow Phora, p. 437. 



