32. 



PREFACE TO THE SECOND SERIES 



THIS supplementary volume of 'Typical 'Flies endeavours to complete 

 the series of British Types, which, before the Great War, Professor 

 Theobald was good enough to select and suggest as a sort of itinerary. 

 And his notes in both volumes, especially those on larvae in the present 

 volume, have greatly added to their value. Thanks are due in addition 

 to the British Museum; to the Museum of Mr Rothschild at Tring, 

 for the loan of micro-slides of the Nycteribiidae ; and to Mr H. Wad- 

 dington, of Bournemouth, for micro-slides of the Culicidae. To the late 

 Mr F. C. Adams, of the New Forest, and to Mr N. D. F. Pearce, of 

 Grantchester, for various notes and specimens captured by them 1 . The 

 only specimens which were included in the original list, and have 

 not been obtained sufficiently well set for photography, are those of 

 Medeterus micaceus, Agromyza lutea, Diplosis pyrivora, and of Oscinis 

 frit, to be added later. 



To Mr Harwood, of Sudbury (Suffolk), I am again greatly indebted 

 for many specimens, especially those of Trypetidae 2 , and seq. There 

 appeared to be no recent illustrations of these beautiful flies and similar 

 species, or even of some rare and common flies, of which identification 

 is difficult. So these, too, have been included in this little volume. 



It is not claimed that the venation is always clear ; that would be 

 difficult to secure in many cases : but every effort has been made to 

 give a clue to the collector. Whenever possible a comparison with 

 actual named specimens in collections and museums, or with lens, is 

 desirable. The requirements of the Dipterist have been dealt with 

 in the previous volume. They include a good net, bottles, pins, fine 

 brushes, and forceps, for setting. Setting boards, killing bottles, cork- 

 lined boxes for keeping specimens (in these expensive days of cabinets), 

 a low-power microscope, and a good hand lens are desiderata. The 

 hours for collecting are those of calm, March to October; a warm 

 sun is essential. For unknown reasons specimens not only inhabit 



1 I greatly regret to hear of the death of Mr Adams since this series of Typical 

 Flies went to press. 



1 In the Entomologists Record and Journal of Variation Mr T. C. Collins deals 

 with the variation in wing markings of Trypetidae, stating that the banded mottled 

 wings constitute specified and even generic characters. 



