XI.IV. Family EPHYDRIDjE. 



Face more or less, often remarkably convex. Antennae 

 short; first joint small; antennal arista bare or pubescent, 

 or pectinated upon the upper side. Oral cavity rounded, 

 usually large; clypeus distinct, in some cases retracted 

 within the oral cavity and not visible, in others very 

 prominent; without distinct vibrissal bristle. Abdomen 

 of variable form, composed of six segments in the males, 

 seven in the females, never elongated; sexual organs 

 usually retracted. Wings rarely aborted; auxiliary vein 

 coalescent for the most part with the first longitudinal 

 and distinct only at its proximal end; distinct through- 

 out in Canace; costa broken before tip of first vein and 

 more or less distinctly a little distance beyond the hum- 

 eral cross-vein; second basal cell confluent with the dis- 

 cal cell, the anterior basal cross-vein entirely absent or 

 only dimly visible; distinctly present in Canace only; 

 anal cell imperfect and small; distinct in Ca?iace and Pe- 

 lomyia. Middle tibiae with spur; no preapical bristle. 

 Body usually bare or nearly so of hairs. 



The flies of this family are never large, often small or 

 even minute. The greater number of species are inhab- 

 itants of wet places, about marshy ground, meadows, 

 etc., and are usually caught in the beating net. They 

 are always thinly pilose or bare species, and never with 

 bright colors. The extraordinarily large mouth of some 

 species is very characteristic, but in others this character 

 is not so apparent; and there is sometimes difficulty in 

 separating the genera from those of the Drosophilidae. 



The name of 'brine flies' or 'salt water flies' has some- 

 times been given to the family, but not very happily, 

 since the greater number live about fresh water. Brachy- 



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