CORDYLURID.E. 329 



characters drawn chiefly from Becker's table. Many of 

 the flies, especially those of Scatophaga, are frequently 

 found about excrement; some feed upon other insects 

 which they capture. Many species of Cordyluza and their 

 allies are collected in meadowlauds and moist places. 

 The larvae of some live in the stems of plants and some, 

 it is said, have been bred from the larvae of Noctua. 



TABLE OF GENERA. 



1. Prothoracic and stigniatic bristles absent; thorax with five dorso- 



central bristles, or, if fewer, the palpi broad; at least four scu- 

 tellar bristles present; wings usually long. ... 2 



Prothoracic and stigniatic bristles present usually; when absent 

 the thorax usually nearly bristleless; one to three sternopleural 

 bristles present; one to five dorsocentrals, the scutellnm with 

 from one to four. ........ 3 



2. Moderately large to small species; males more thickly haired than 



the females; face but little excavated in profile; third antennal 

 joint rounded, with a bare or plumose arista; palpi long and 

 slender; five dorsocentrals present (1, and fig. 133). 



Scatophagy. 

 Head broad; palpi more or less dilated. ..... 9 



3. Front femora on the inner side with a double row of bristles. 13 

 Front femora at the most with a single row of bristles. . 4 



4. Palpi small, slender. ........ 5 



Palpi long, flattened, leaf-like; eyes oval; antennae long, the dis- 

 tal end angular; abdomen not noticeably short (3) . 



Pselaphephila. 



5. Palpi with a long, terminal bristle; one sternopleural bristle; arista 



plumose or strongly pubescent; costa of wings hairy or pectin- 

 ated; third vein straight or gently curved. ... 6 

 Palpi not with long terminal bristle — one to three sternopleural 

 bristles present 8 



6. Arista plumose; femora and tibiae with strong bristles; five dorso- 



pleural bristles; usually shining black species. ... 7 



Antennal arista slender, scarcely thickened at its base, short or 



long haired; femora and tibiae long and slender, and but little 



bristly; from one to five dorsocentrals; yellow and black species. 



Parallelomma . 



