INTRODUCTION. 



21 



But as the Tipulidse are divided now into a larger number of 

 natural groups or sections, the subdivision into T. longipalpi and 

 hrevipalpi has lost somewhat of its importance. These names 

 are, nevertheless, very convenient terms for designating the two 

 large groups of which the family is composed ; and they are the 

 more convenient in the present publication, as the two parts of 

 which it is intended to consist will nearly coincide with these 

 groups. 



5. Distrihulion of the Tiptjlid^ brevipalpi in sections. 

 The bulk of the T. brevipalpi is represented in the genus 

 Limnobia Meigen, which contains the most heterogeneous ele- 

 ments. Several attempts have been made to subdivide it into 

 sections, or to break it up altogether ; but strange enough, all 

 these attempts were based upon secondary characters, whereas 

 the number of submargiual cells was either entirely overlooked, 

 or applied to the distinction of subordinate groups only. Thus, 

 both Zetterstedt {Dipt. Scand. X, 1851) and Walker {Ins. Brit., 

 Dipiera, III, 185^) use for their primary subdivision of Limnobia, 

 the presence or absence of the diseal cell ; and next to this, the 

 number of posterior cells. The consequence is, that one of Prof. 

 Zetterstedt's ultimate subdivisions contains the following species 

 in the same order as they are given here : L. didijma M. (a 

 Dicranomyia ; section Limnobina ; one submargiual cell); L. 

 pilipes F. {Trimicra; section Eriopterina ; two submargiual 

 cells) ; L. replicata L. {Phalacrocera ; section Cylindrotomina) ; 

 L. trisidcata Schum. {Triogma; section Cylindrotomina)', L. 

 tristis Schum. {Dicranomyia; one submargiual cell); L. fiisces- 

 cens Schum. {Dicranoptycha ; section Limnobina anomala ; one 

 submargiual cell) ; L. murina Zett. and hyalinata Zett. (probably 

 Dicranomyise ; one submarginal cell) ; L. pilicornis Zett. (pro- 

 bably Ulomorpha; section Limnophilina ; two submarginal 

 cells); L. piilosa Schum. {Ula ; section Amalopina ; two sub- 

 marginal cells) ; L. ciliaris Schum. {Erioptera ; two submarginal 

 cells) ; L. lugubris Zett. (perhaps a Psiloconopa ? section 

 Eriopterina ; two sulmiarginal cells) ; L. morio F. {Dicrano- 



requires correction; in the penultimate line, read ,/frs< instead of sccoml ; 

 in the last line read auxiliary, instead o^ first longitudinal. 



