REVIEW OF THE T>ITERATURE 

 OF ORIENTAL D I P T E R L G Y. 



At. Ihe time of Linnaeus the knowledge concerning exotic 

 Diptera was very limited. Only a few species, mostly from Ame- 

 rica, are recorded in the last editions of the Systcma Naturae, 

 none fiom Asia. 



A result of Linnaeus' works was, that Zoology became more 

 and more scientifically cultivated. Zoological museums raised every- 

 where, and soon this science increased so much, that it was almost 

 impossible for a single person , to embrace it in its whole extent, 

 unless he contented himself with generalities. For a more special 

 study restriction to any part of it was necessary, and Ento- 

 mology soon commenced to be a matter of serious study. Fabricius 

 and Latreille stand foremost in the ranks of special entomologists. 

 De Geer, Scopoli, Schrank , Reaumur, Panzer and others may 

 also be mentioned, but most of these latter treated exclusively ot 

 European insects. 



J. C. Fabricius described in his subsequent labours (1775 — 

 4805) a large number of Diptera from all parts of the world, but 

 his descriptions are often not sufficient to recognize the species 

 with certainty, and his systematic arrangement is defective, because 

 he has paid a too exclusive attention to the characters derived 

 from the shape of the mouth-parts. 



Nearly in the same time and some years later P. A. Latreille 

 wrote his entomological works (1796 — 1829). Tliey were of a 

 much more .systematical value than those of Fabricius and con- 



