484 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 44. 



Igarape Assa is about 120 miles from the city of Pari. It is situated about 1,000 

 feet above the sea level and in the heart of the forest. I arrived at my destination 

 about the first of December, 1911, which is the latter partof the dry season. The rains 

 did not start until about the middle of January, and from then on it rained almojt 

 every day for three or four hours. It was usually fine in the morning, but toward 1 2 

 o'clock clouds loomed up on the horizon. WTien these wet days come it is very hard 

 to keep things from molding, especially insects. There were very few Tipulida; to 

 be had during the dry season, but they became more plentiful as the wet season 

 advanced. I used to go out with a waterproof on and an umbrella in one hand and 

 net in the other. The place where I stopped was right beside a swamp, so that it made 

 it all the better for your material. At night I put a light, mounted on a chau-, with a 

 sheet behind it, and this had the desired effect.' 



It is not proposed nor intended to give t]ie characters of any 

 genus, except where such genera have been insufliciently described. 

 In the case of monotypic genera, described in papers that are dvfli- 

 cult of access to the student, the generic and specific descriptions 

 arc included. Under each genus is given references to the best 

 characterizations of tlie genera tliat are avaihable, some one or more 

 of which will be accessible to the general student of the Diptera. 

 As regards the synonomy of the species, it has been given complete 

 in the case of purely Neotropical forms. In wide-ranging or cos- 

 mopolitan species, only the more important or significant changes 

 are given. 



For the information of the reader concerning any points of nomen- 

 clature that may be doubtful, I give the following bibliography of 

 tjie systems adopted in this paper: 



1. Wing venalion: 



CoMSTOCK, J. n., and Needh.*.m, J. G. 



The Wings of Insects. 



American Naturalist, vol. 32, No. 373, pp. 43-48; No. 374. pp. 81-89; No. 376, pp. 

 231-257; No. 377, pp. 335-340; No. 378, pp. 413-424; No. 380, pp. 561-565; No. 3S2, 

 pp. 769-777; No. 384, pp. 903-911; vol. 33, No. 386, pp. 117-126; No. 391, pp. 573- 

 582; No. 395, pp. 84.5-860. 



Published separately by the Comstock Publishing Company with the addition of a 

 table of contents, 124 pp., 90 figs. The fourth part, No. 377, pp. 335-340, deals wiOi 

 the Diptera but makes no mention of the Tipulidae in particular. 



Needham. James George. 



Crane-flies, in the 23rd Report of the State Entomologist of New York, 1S07, pp. 

 199-248, pis. 11-32. The most complete account and critical study of the venati.ju 

 of crane-flies ever published. The study of this paper is strongly recommended. 



2. Head sclcrites: , 

 ("OMSTOCK, J. H., and KocHi, C. 

 The Skeleton of the Head of Insects. 

 American Naturalist, vol. 36. No. 421. pp. 13-4.5. 

 Comstock, J. H. and Kellogg, V. I.. 

 The Elements of Insect Anatomy. 

 Comstock Publishing Company. Ithaca, New York (1W4I , pp. 1-145. 



1 Letter from H. S. Parish, May 24, 1912. 



