22 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol,. X, 



Wyeomyia has ostensibly 4, Sabethes 3 (doubtful in &) and 

 Sahethoides 2 only in 0* and 9 . 



A general vagueness pervades the references to these organs 

 in this group in most writings, or else their length is spoken 

 of irrespective of the number of joints. 



The Antennae. — These exhibit extensive and even extra- 

 ordinary modifications in many families {Stratiomyidae, Tahanidae, 

 Bombylidae, Cyrtidae, Empidae, Syrphidae and some Acalyptrata), 

 ranging from conspicuously elongate or variously shaped 

 structures down to a minute, almost globular form. The number 

 of joints often varies within the same family, Chironomidae, 

 Cecidoinyidae and Tipulidae, for example, in the latter varying 

 from 6 to 28 joints.' They attain the most extraordinary forms 

 in isolated genera {Pityocera in Tahanidae, Talarocerain Tachinidae , 

 Ctenophora in Tipulidae) ; and vary to a very wide though less 

 fantastic extent in Syrphidae, Empidae, Bombylidae and some 

 groups of Acalyptrata, so that by comparative analogy there is 

 hardly any family (containing more than a single genus), in which 

 they are not infinitely more diverse than in the Culicidae. 



In this matter, indeed, we meet with no such difficulties as 

 with the palpi. The normal number of joints is 15 in the & and 

 14 in the 9 , exceptions being rare. Normally densely plumose in 

 the cf and pilose in the $ , exceptions are uncommon except in 

 some Sabethini when though they should be pilose in both sexes, 

 though generally a little more densely so the a" , the degree of 

 plumosity or pilosity in the cf may give rise to doubt. 

 Only quite a few genera have specialized antennae. 

 The very fanciful form of ornamentation of these organs in 

 Lophoscelomyia & substantiates its erection as a distinct genus, 

 whilst in Deinocerites and Dinomimetes the excessive length of the 

 2nd joint also justifies their separation. In Megarhinus the 

 ist scapal joint in the cf is conspicuously annular or bead-like, 

 the 2nd being elongate, thickened and densely scaled. One or 

 both scapal joints may be scaled in one sex or both sexes {Chagasia, 

 Calvertina), and ma^^ be enlarged or not, irrespective of scales, 

 in others. 



In Finlaya an apparent discrepancy occurs, the $ being reputed 

 to possess 15-jointed antennae, but there seems to be only 

 Theobald's original statement for this, and, it is true, the absence 

 of contradiction by subsequent authors, but no figure has been 

 available and if the 15th joint proves but a constriction of the 

 I4tli the alleged anomaly disappears. The two basal joints are 

 also scaled. 



To sum up, the antennae in the Culicidae may be regarded 

 as generally consistently uniform, which justifies the exceptions 

 {Lophoscelomyia, Deinocerites and Dinomimetes) being regarded 



1 Some authors have claimed 39 joints in Cerozodia [Cecidomvidae), but others 

 lave regarded some of these as annular impressions only. However, at least 17 

 oints are definitely present in some genera of Tipulidae, others having, equally 

 "rtainly, only 6. 



