IvII. Family CORDY^URIDiE. 



Fig- l 2>3- Scatophaga furcata, enlarged; after Washburn. 



Squamae small, the upper one concealing the lower. 

 Head seldom longer than high; eyes rounded or oval, 

 bare, broadly separated by the front in both sexes; front 

 almost always with well-developed bristles. Wings 

 rather large; auxiliary vein always present and dis- 

 tinct; first longitudinal vein never much shortened, where 

 it joins the costa never with bristle; basal cells rather 

 large, always complete; first posterior cell seldom nar- 

 rowed in the border or closed; abdomen with more than 

 four visible segments. 



Some of the flies of this group are easily confounded 

 with those of the Anthomyidae, but an attentive exam- 

 ination of the squamae, the number of segments of the 

 abdomen and costa will usually resolve doubt of their 

 correct location. The flies are often of considerable size 

 for Acalypterates, never very small. 



The family has been called the Scatomyzidae by Becker, 

 who has thoroughly studied and monographed the Eu- 



3 2 7 



