454 CYKTID^ 



followed by the unforked postical and anal veins, and the apparent cross-vein will be 

 (as in Acrocera) the beginning of the upper branch of the discal vein, and there are 

 two rather undefined basal cells. Lastly in Acrocera (figs. 260 F and Gr) the venation 

 is reduced and transposed in an extraordinary manner ; the origin of the subcostal, 

 discal, and postical veins can be clearly traced, but their subsequent developments 

 are almost unintelligible because of the numerous suppressions of long veins and 

 cross-veins ; one is bound to suppose that the prsefurca emerges from the subcostal 

 vein, and if so a radial vein can be identified in A. sanguitiea (fig. 260 F) though not 

 in A. globulus (fig. 260 G) ; I feel convinced that the wide open fork which includes 

 the wing-tip is composed of a simple cubital vein in the upper branch, and a con- 

 tinuation of the discal vein (almost as in Pterodontia analis) after sundry anasto- 

 moses as the lower branch, so that the fork-cell is a posterior cell and not a 

 submarginal cell ; then I am convinced that there is no discal cross-vein, but that 

 the almost upright vein just after the middle of the wing is a portion of the discal 

 vein (as in Pterodontia) ; again I am convinced that the almost upright vein 

 connecting the discal with the postical vein is the upper branch of the postical, so 

 that 1 make out that A. sangumea has one submarginal cell, but A. globulus none at 

 all, but that both have three posterior cells ; in fact it seems probable that Acrocera 

 sa?i(7«mea has a venation equivalent to Pterodontia analis if (1) the outer part of 

 the discal vein in the latter anastomosed for a considerable distance with the simple 

 cubital vein, (2) that the discal cross-vein were entirely absent so that it enabled 

 (3) the discal vein to run in a straight line from its base to the wingmargin (except 

 for its upward fork). 



The suggestion that the venation of Oncodes is a degraded form of Astomella, and 

 Acrocera of Pterodontia, is somewhat confirmed by the presence of all four genera in 

 the Palsearctic region. 



Two features in the venation are somewhat characteristic of the Stratiomyidce, 

 viz., the sometimes absent Ambient Vein and the Praefurca originating almost 

 opposite the base of the discal cell, but these peculiarities cannot show any afiSnity 

 between the two families even with the additional peculiarity of the woolly haired 

 thoracal squamae. 



Table of the Palceardic Subfamilies and Genera of CYRTlDiE. 



1 (2) Prothoracic plates so strongly developed that they unite dorsally 



and form a large shield between the mesonotum and the neck. 



Philopotin^ (p. 456). 

 Discal cell absent ; anal cell open (fig. 260 E). 



Philopota. 



2 (1) Prothoracic plates not conspicuously developed. 



3 (4) Third antennal joint long and strap-shaped, bent down and with- 

 out any trace of an apical bristle or style 

 (fig. 261). 



Panopin^ (p. 456). 



Antennae obviously three-jointed. Venation 



(fig. 260A) moderately complete ; upper basal cell 



FiQ. 261.— Astomella divided into two cells ; posterior cells four (count- 



Lindenu. x 22. -j^g ^j^^ ^p^^ space including the wing-tip as a 



posterior cell), third (normal fourth) sometimes 



closed ; anal cell closed ; small cross-vein sometimes present. 



Astomella. 



(3) Third antennal joint usually short and always with an apical 



bristle or hair-Hke rays (fig. 262). CYRTiNiE (p. 457). 



(6) Proboscis elongate and very thin. 



Eyes hairy. Venation moderately complete ; anal cell closed ; 

 small cross-vein absent (fig. 259 G). 



Cyrtus. 



