30 Orthorrhapha brachycera. 



2, Empidinae. 



Eyes either touching in the male, separated in the female, or 

 separated in both sexes ; in tlie former case the facets in ttie male 

 larger above than below. When the eyes are separated in both sexes 

 they are sometimes more narrowly separated in the male than in the 

 female. Antennæ five-jointed, with a two-jointed style. Proboscis of 

 various length , from a little shorter than the head is high to about 

 as long as the body. Maxillæ present; maxillary palpi one-jointed. 

 Thorax not very high. Metapleura with bristles or {Hilara) bare. 

 Cubital vein forked, or {Rhamphomyia) unforked ; discai vein forked; 

 discai cell present, sending three veins to the margin; four posterior 

 cells; the basal cells of equal length; anal cell shorter than the second 

 basal cell; lower branch of postical vein recurrent; anal vein reaching 

 the margin or abbreviated. Axillary lobe generally well developed, 

 sometimes small. Alula small or wanting. Stigma present, sometimes 

 very weak. 



Tahle of Genera. 



1 . Cubital vein not forked 4. Rhamphomyia. 



— Cubital vein forked 2. 



2. Mediastinal vein not reaching the margin; the upper 

 branch of the cubital vein short, more or less steep ; 

 metapleura with bristles; front metatarsus in the male 



simple or very slightly swollen 5. Enipis. 



— Mediastinal vein reaching the margin ; the upper branch 

 of the cubital vein somew^hat long, more or less paral- 

 lel with the lower branch or somewhat diverging; 

 metapleura bare; front metatarsus in the male with 



rare exceptions more or less strongly swollen 6. Hilara. 



4. Rltamplioitiyia Meig. 

 Species of small or medium size and most frequently of a slender 

 shape. The colours are dark or grey, sometimes yellow. The head 

 is somewhat small, more or less globular, and somewhat arched behind ; 

 it is here clothed with hairs which are generahy somewhat stronger 

 in the female than in the male. The eyes are large, occupying nearly 

 the whole front part of the head; they are in most cases touching in 

 the male, separated in the female, but sometimes they are separated 

 in both sexes, but then the frons is narrower in the male than in the 

 female, and sometimes it is very narrow. When the eyes are touching 

 this is for a long distance, so that the frontal triangle is smaU, some- 

 times very small. The colour of the eyes is dark reddish or brownish 

 sometimes bright reed (e. g. nigripennis). When the eyes are touching 

 the facets are in the male larger in the upper half part than below 



