A Monograph of Egyptian Diptera. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The first volume of a Monograph of the Egyptian Diptera is 

 hardly the place for a discussion of a complete classification of 

 the Order, which at present would necessarily he nothing more than 

 a resume of the opinions of previous writers, whereas when the 

 Egyptian Diptera have been more extensively studied it is hoped 

 that more light will be thrown on this subject, which, so far is in 

 a very unsatisfactory condition. Further it is my opinion that no 

 final phylogenetic classification can be arrived at in this, or any 

 other order, until a thorough survey has been made of the fauna 

 of Australasia, such as has been done by Meyrick in Lepidoptera, 

 and is now being accomplished by Tonnoir, who is working on the 

 New Zealand Psychodidae, which are undoubtedly one of the most 

 primitive families of Diptera. 



In my descriptions I have, as a rule, adopted the system 

 followed by Verrall; in addition, many of the characters given by 

 Bezzi have also been used. The only exception is in the system of 

 Wing Venation, which is that of Comstock*, as I consider this to 

 be the most readily intelligible and the least artificial, being applic- 

 able to all orders of insects. The table of the Sub-Families and 

 Genera have been adopted from those given by Verrall (British 

 Flies, Vol. VIII. 1901)" and Bezzi (Syrphidae of the Ethiopian 

 Begion, 1915). I have included in these tables the sub-families and 

 genera which so far have been recorded from North Africa, as it is 

 very likely that some of them may eventually be found in Egypt, 

 and also to assist in demonstrating the characters of those already 

 recorded from this country. 



H. C. E. 



*J.H. Comstock: The Wings of Insects, Ithaca, New York, 1918. 



