P E E F A C E. 



Already long since I had prepared, for my own use, a list of 

 South-Asiatic Diptera and intended to pubhsh it at some time , 

 thinking others might also profit by it in their studies. 



A similar work, however, was published a few years ago 

 by the late J. M. F. Bigot, in the Journal of the Asiatic 

 Society of Bengal, vol. LX (1891) and LXI (1892), entitled: 

 ((Catalogue of the Diptera of the oriental region)). At first 

 sight, I thought that it now was useless to send my own work 

 to the press, but after a more careful examination of Bigot's 

 Catalogue, I found in it so many omissions and inaccuracies, 

 that I thought it quite insufficient for its purpose. 



Bigot has overlooked several papers , in which eastern Diptera 

 are described. Save some rare exceptions, the species of Walker 

 in vol. II to VIII of the Proceediugs of the Liyinean Society 

 at London are wanting in his Catalogue ; also those described 

 by Doleschall in vol. XIV and XVII of the Natmirkundig Tijdschrift 

 voor Nederlandsch Indie ; the greater part of the species published 

 by Baron Osten Sacken in the Amiali del Museo civico di Genova, 

 vol. XVI, and in the Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift^ vol. 

 XXVI; and many of my descriptions in the Tijdschrift voor Enio- 

 w.ologie and in the Notes from the Leyden Musemn *). Sometimes 

 he has even neglected species, published by himself in the Annalcs 

 de la Societe Entomologique de France or elsewhere. 



On the other hand Bigot has often mentioned the same species 

 more than once, mostly in different genera. For instance, in 



1) Bigot, however, was in the possession of separata of all these papers, 

 which is proved at the public sale of his library. 



1 



