PREFATORY NOTE TO VOI.UME IV. 



So many papers have been received and promised for the 

 Records of the Indian Museum this year that it has been decided to 

 pubHsh a special volume (vol. iv) devoted to the systematic and 

 geographical study of Diptera proved to be or likel}^ to prove of 

 economic or medical importance. The papers that constitute this 

 volume will be issued as they are read}^, concurrenth' with the parts 

 of volume v, which will be devoted to general zoology. 



The preparation of vol. iv has been rendered possible by the 

 untiring industr^^ of ^Ir. E. Brunetti, by the assistance generously 

 given by private collectors (notably by Lt.-Col. E. A. W. Hall, 

 I. M.S.) and by the liberality with which the Trustees of the Indian 

 Museum have permitted their scientific officers to travel through 

 India to collect and observe. These circumstances have combined 

 to render our collection of Indian Diptera one of great importance 

 and have enabled the Museum to resume the position as a centre of 

 entomological work that it held in the days of \Vood-]\Iason and de 

 Niceville. 



In addition to Mr. Theobald's report on recent additions to the 

 collection of mosquitoes with which it commences, this volume will 

 contain a revision of the Oriental Gad-flies by Miss Ricardo. a revi- 

 sion of the Oriental blood-sucking Muscidae by Mr. Brunetti, an ac- 

 count of the Indian Papataci flies {Phlehotomus) by Dr. Annandale, 

 a revision of the Oriental Diptera Pupipara by Dr. Speiser, 

 a revision of the Oriental Trypetidae (f ruit- flies) by Prof . Bezzi, and 

 other papers and notes. An account of the Indian Chironomidae 

 (including many blood-sucking species) has been received from 

 Prof. Kieffer and is now in the press, but as the group is a large one 

 and has hitherto been almost completely neglected so far as Indian 

 forms are concerned, this paper will be published in the Memoirs 

 of the Indian Museum. 



N. Annandale, 

 Indian ]\Iuseum, Superintendent. 



Calcutta : 

 Feb. gth, 1910. 



