424 MAJOR \V. S. PATTON. 



Institute of Tropical Medicine). Mr. Hill in particular recently sent me a valuable 

 collection of Muscidae from various localities. I wish to take this opportunity 

 of thanking these gentlemen for the trouble they have taken in collecting and sending 

 all these specimens. 



The revision of the species from the Australasian Region has been most difficult, 

 owing to the great confusion existing as to the correct names of even the commonest 

 species ; most, if not all, of these have been described by the older authors, but 

 unfortunately their descriptions are for the most part valueless, if not actually mis- 

 leading. It is for this reason that I would earnestly appeal to those who have oppor- 

 tunities of collecting species of Musca, to let me have as many specimens as possible. 

 I would particularly like large numbers of house-flies from any part of the Region, 

 either in 80 per cent, alcohol or packed in matchboxes. It will only be by comparing 

 large numbers of specimens of the species from as many localities as possible with 

 those from other regions, particularly the Oriental, that it will be possible to settle 

 the true identity of'the species of the older authors. And it would be most unfor- 

 tunate if my final revision were to be incomplete merely for the want of sufficient 

 material. Larvae and flies bred from them are the best material for the comparative 

 studies I now have in hand. 



1. Musca domestica, L. (typical). 



Synonym : Musca vicaria, Walker. 

 Of the 58 specimens of this species in the National Collection from various parts 

 of Australia, and from the Sandwich, Samoan, Solomon and Fiji Islands, I have 

 provisionally determined 21 (including the type of Walker's vicaria, a female from 

 New Zealand), as belonging to this species. And I have specimens in my own 

 collection which are undoubtedly this species. 



2. Musca domestica, L. (atypical). 



Sjmonym : Musca antiquissima, Walker. 

 The remaining 36 specimens in the National Collection (inclucUng the type of 

 Walker's Musca antiquissima, a male), belong to the form of domestica in which the 

 male has a front much narrower than that of the typical form. Most of the 

 specimens in my own collection conform to this type, so that it would appear that 

 it is one of the common house-flies of Australia ; its true identity will only be 

 arrived at by examining microscopic preparations of the external genitalia of both 

 sexes and comparing them with the similar form from other regions. I should be 

 glad of some hundreds of specimens of this species. 



3. Musca pumila, Macquart. 



Synon\nns : Musca minor, Macquart. 



Musca vetustissima. Walker. 



Musca autumnalis (corvina), Froggatt {nee de Geer). 



Musca humilis, Stein, Bezzi {nee Wiedemann). 

 This species is identical with a Musca bred by me more than 10 years ago in 

 Madras. It has been confused with Mttsca humilis, Wiedemann. It appears to be 

 a troublesome bush fly in Australia, and I have four small females sent me by 

 Mr. Froggatt with a note that they were caught in tents. There are three specimens, 

 one male and two females, in the National Collection from Cloncurry, Queensland, 

 collected by Dr. Priestly, who notes that it is a troublesome fly, setthng on the 

 human eye and probably carrying the bacteria of eye diseases. In Australia it 

 appears to have taken the place of Musca humilis. The Austrahan specimens differ 

 slightly from the Indian in that the frontal stripe of the male is usually a little 

 broader, but this is a variable character. 



