AN ACCOUNT OF BRITISH FLIES (DIPTERA). 
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CHAPTER I. 
FOSSIL DIPTERA. 
One of the branches of science that has advanced with rapid strides 
during recent years is geology; in all quarters of the globe fresh 
discoveries have been made, which have entirely altered many of the 
old theories and beliefs. We have here only to deal with one branch 
of geology, namely Palzontology, or the study of fossil animals and 
plants. 
At the end of the last century William Smith, a land surveyor, 
laid the foundation of Paleontology. He showed that strata could 
be traced and identified by their included fossil animal remains, and 
in 1815 he published his work on “Strata Identified by their 
Organic Fossils,” and thus laid the foundation of a new branch of 
geology that was destined to take the place of mineralogy as the 
handmaid of geology. 
From this time onwards continual advances have been made in 
palzeontological study, in all parts of Europe and America. England 
has been especially to the fore in this respect. It is, however, com- 
paratively recently that insects have attracted the attention of fossil 
collectors. 
We owe our knowledge chiefly to Scudder, Brodie, Heer, Loew, 
etc. Scudder has published a good account in the American 
Government Reports. Brodie had, however, previously written on 
the Mesozoic and Tertiary insects, and had figured a good many 
specimens. 
Prior to giving an account of the fossil Diptera it seems well to 
append a short description of the order. 
I 
