48 MICETOPH1LIDJE. 



value with the other subfamilies, they possess two tolerably con- 

 sistent characters that separate them from these other families 

 taken together ; so that many authors regard this family as 

 divided into two parts, the Mycetophilid part and the Sciarid 

 part, the former divisible into several well marked subfamilies, the 

 latter practically represented by the gigantic genus Sciara alone. 



The Mycetophilids, taken in bulk, are nearly always recognisable 

 from the rest of the NEMATOCERA by their much enlarged coxse, 

 whilst the Sciarids, wanting this particular characteristic, may 

 be recognised by their reduced venation, in conjunction with the 

 abnormal obliquity of the anterior cross-vein, which is so parallel 

 to the longitudinal axis of the wing as to appear nearly always 

 as the basal portion of the 3rd longitudinal vein. They can 

 hardly be mistaken for any other group except some CECIDO- 

 MYID^E, but an absolute beginner might confuse them with a small 

 Plecia, and from this the long slender antennae would at once 

 distinguish them. 



In the generic descriptions Johannsen (Gen. Ins., Pasc. 93, 

 1909) has been largely relied on, as the latest cosmopolitan worker 

 in this group, and his characters have been accepted and generally 

 copied verbatim, except that the descriptions of the venation are 

 my own, in order that the terminology may be consistent with 

 that of the remainder of the present work. 



Table of Subfamilies. 



1. Coxae moderately long; anterior cross-vein 



nearly in a line with the longitudinal axis 

 of the wing. The 5th longitudinal vein 



forked near base of wing SCIARIN^E, p. 119 



Coxse conspicuously elongated : anterior 

 cross-vein nearly always sufficiently trans- 

 verse to occupy generally its normal 

 position 2. 



2. The 4th longitudinal vein arises from the 



5th near base of wing; 6th vein more or 



less indistinct 3. 



The 4th longitudinal vein arises opposite or 

 beyond the origin of the 3rd vein ; 6l,h 

 vein generally distinct 4. 



3. The 3rd longitudinal vein forked ; its anterior 



branch usually so near its origin and so 

 transverse that it resembles an additional 



cross-vein. Three ocelli present SCIOPHILINJE, p. C8. 



The 3rd longitudinal vein not forked MYCETOPHILIN^E, 



[p. 80. 



4. The 3rd vein not forked DIADOCIDIIN,*:".* 



The 3rd vein forked 5. 



* Although no species of DIAHOCIDIIN.E, MYCETOBITN^E or BOLITOPIIILIX.E has 

 been found in the East, it seems eminently desirable in the present unsatis- 

 factory state of our knowledge of this family to include in the table all the 

 recognised subfamilies, since it is probable that one or all of them really exist 

 in that region. 



