Oeder dipteea. 



Suborder BRACHYCERA. 



INTEOUUCTION. 



In the first volume devoted to the Diptera in the " Fauna of 

 British India" Series, the two great suborders, Oethoeehapha 

 and Ctclorbhapha, into wliich tlie order is now generally divided, 

 were sufficiently characterised, and a comparison was also given 

 between the Nematocera and BKACHycEHA, into which the first 

 suborder is subdivided. Tlie earliest writers divided the Diptera 

 into Nemocera and Brachxcera, of subordinal rank based mainly 

 on palpal and antennal characters, and not on those of the 

 venation or early stages, this classification finding favour until 

 towards the close of the last century. Nowadays the old series of 

 brachycerous families is split at or near the Lokchopterid^, all 

 those from the Stratiomyid^e to that family being included in the 

 Oethorrhapha Brachycera ; the remainder, consisting of the 

 Platypezid^, Pipunculiu.e, Syrphid^, Conopid^ and CEstrid/E, 

 the enormous family Muscid^ (^sensu latissimo), and the pupiparous 

 Diptera (the last-named forming in themselves a separate group of 

 uncertain rank) constituting the Cyclorrhapha. One anomalous 

 family, the Phorid^, is by some placed next the Lonchopterid^ 

 in the Orthorrhapha Brachycera, and by others next to the 

 MusciDJE in the Cyclorrhapha. 



The formation of groups of higher rank than families has 

 received the attention of many dipterologists of note, and Verrall 

 gives an excellent resume of Brauer's (1883) and Osten-Sacken's 

 (1896) views. Verrall himself admitted that there were several 

 points in Brauer's tables that were not clear to him and others with 

 which he could not agree, and it may here be observed that 

 Brauer's primary divisions or suborders of Orthoerhapha and 

 Cyclorrhapha have been criticised as lately as 1907 by Prof. 

 Miall. Verrall, in noting this in a footnote, adds, " I quite 

 agree with this distinguished savant in considering the two 

 divisions, Orthoeehapha and CrcLOEEHAPHA, at present incom- 

 prehensible" (Dec. 1908). I find myself in the same predicament, 

 and, personally, biological affinities notwithstanding, I have an 

 instinctive leaning towards regarding all the families from the 

 Stratiomyidte to the Mlscid.e, and the Phoeid.e, as more closely 

 related one to the other than are a certain number of them related 



B 



