118 INSECUTOR INSCITI/E MENSTRUUS 



THE TIPULIDyE IN BRUNETTI'S "FAUNA OF BRIT- 

 ISH INDIA; DIPTERA NEMATOCERA" 



By CHARLES P. ALEXANDER, Ithaca. N. Y.i 



The publication of this great work (November, 1912) affords us an 

 opportunity to investigate the rather numerous genera that the author has 

 recently erected (Records of the Indian Museum, vol. 6, 1 9 1 1 ). As 

 was suspected at the time of their characterization, most of these genera 

 are based upon too trivial structural features to warrant recognition while 

 some are strict synonyms of older well-known genera and due either to 

 carelessness on the part of the author or his lack of familiarity with the 

 holarctic fauna. Some of the glaring specific errata that appear in this 

 work are noticed at the end of the article. The magnificent drawings 

 by Bagchi are the most valuable single feature of the volume, eind it is 

 upon these figures that the following criticisms are largely based. 



Ceratostephanus Brun. (p. 406) undoubtedly equals Rhipidia Meigen. 



Afypophthalmus Brun. (p. 408) is very doubtfully a valid genus based 

 entirely on the holoptic condition of the eyes. A close approach to this 

 is found in many Rhipidia where the space left on the vertex is exceed- 

 ingly narrow. 



Gymnastes Brun. (p. 432) equals Teucholabis Osten Sacken, the 

 character of a clubbed femur and the venation being approached by sev- 

 eral true species of Teucholabis. 



Mongomioides Brun. (p. 48 1 ) and Paramongoma Brun. (p. 484) 

 have been considered by the writer in another article (Proc. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., vol. 44, p. 499). 



Das^mallomyia Brun. (p. 494) equcils Gnophomyia Osten Sacken. 

 The venation of the type is similar to that of G. aperta Coq. {non Bru- 

 netti's G. aperta (p. 492), which, however, is a Pedicine, Rhaphido- 

 labis) from British Columbia. The short, very hairy legs of which so 

 much is made is characteristic of a group of tropical American species 

 {hirsuta Alex., pervicax Alex., et al.). 



Paracladura Brun. (p. 502), a valid genus and a very primitive one 

 but not at all related to the American Cladura as stated. 



Claduroides Brun. (p. 505), a strict synonym of Rhaphidolabis Osten 

 Sacken, which belongs in a totally different tribe. 



* Contribution from the Entomological Laboratory of Cornell University. 



