AMERICAN DIPTEK \. 395 



form, which is represented by a single species, //. pygmceus Wyenb., 

 from Cordova, South America. It is, therefore, omitted from the 

 table of the genera. 



PALLURA Walker. 

 L859. Walker, Journal Proceed. Lin. Soc, iii, 1~'T. 

 Male. Body rather broad, pubescent. Proboscis rather small, 

 withdrawn; antennas very short, arista very long; scutellum large, 

 conical, extending beyond the base of the abdomen. Abdomen 

 nearly elliptical, no longer than the thorax; legs rather broad, 

 pubescent, without bristles; wings rather long and broad; veins of' 

 equal size, costal vein ending at rather before half the length of the 

 wing, cubital ending at hardly in front of the tip, prsebrachial end- 

 in-- at a little behind the tip, probrachial ending on the hind border 

 at half the length of the wing; discal transverse vein straight, 

 parted by more than twice its length from the border and from the 

 prsebrachial transverse. 



This description is worthless as it contains no unique character ami 

 omits many of the necessary ones for distinguishing the well known 

 genera. As Decker ( L901, '•">) has already remarked, it is hard to 

 see what Walker had in mind as distinguishing characters for the 

 genus. 



TERMITOXEN1A Wasmann. 

 L900. Wasmann. Zeit. Wiss. Zool., Ixvii, 4 Heft. pp. 599-617. Plates. 

 1901. Wasmann, ibid., Ixx. -J Heft, pp. 289 298. 



When Wasmann first described this genus (/. c, 1900 ), he regarded 

 it as related to the forms of wingless Phoridae for which Wandolleck 

 had just previously erected the family Stethopathidse and accord 

 ingly placed it in this latter family, giving numerous reasons which 

 seemed to justify such a conclusion. 



Later, however, at Mik's suggestion, in a sec 1 paper (/. c, 1901 ), 



Wassmann attempted to remove it entirely from its position near the 

 Phoridse and assign to it a place near the Muscidse ; not in the Eu- 

 myidse as Mik suggested, but in a position intermediate between the 

 Muscidse and the J'ti/>i/><(r<< in the family Termitoxeniidse. All of 

 the very close similarities which Dahl had pointed out between Ter- 

 mitoxenia and the Phoridse were cast aside as merely " wichtige 

 Aenlichkeiien," while the post embryonic development, which has 

 been only slightly studied, and the shape and position of the antennal 

 cavity were chosen to determine its position. It is so well known as 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC. XXJX. DECEMBER, l!tlt.'; 



