g2 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March 



SOME NORTH AMERICAN GENERA OF THE DIPTEROUS 

 GROUP, CALLIPHORINAE GIRSCHNER. 



By Garky de 'N. Hough, M. D. 

 The masterly researches of Herr Ernst Girschner have 

 thrown a flood of light upon the Cimmerian darkness of the 

 classification of the Muscidse. One of the groups clearly es- 

 tablished by him is that of the Calliphorinje, the Xorth 

 American genera of which form the subject of this paper. 



The super- family Muscidse is thus defined by Prof, Willis- 

 ton: 



Proboscis functional or rudimentary. In the former case usually 

 short and with pseud otracheate labellae, but sometimes elongate 

 and adapted for piercing; palpi sometimes rudimentary, never 

 jointed. Antennae always three-jointed, the third joint simple, 

 round, oval or elongate, compressed and always (except in Crypto- 

 chaetum, where it is entirely absent), with a bare, pubescent or 

 plumose, dox'sal or subapical arista. Auxiliary vein sometimes ru- 

 dimentary, often more or less coalescent with the first longitudinal 

 vein, usually distinct in its entire course; never more than one 

 submarginal and three posteiMor cells present; the submargiual 

 and mai'ginal cells always open; basal cells never large, the second 

 basal sometimes coalescent with the discal cell, the anal cell present 

 or absent; posterior cross vein rarely absent. Pulvilli always pres- 

 ent; empodia wanting ; claws of the male often larger than those 

 of the female. 



For over sixty years dipterologists have divided the Mus- 

 cidae into two great series : Calyptratae and Acalyptratse. 

 In general there is no difficulty in determining to which series 

 a given form belongs, but to this rule there are exceptions. 

 Girschner's definitions seem better than any others known to 

 me. They are as follows : 



Acalyptratae — Squamula alaris always distinctly developed, but 

 never very large; squamula thoracalis usually lacking, at most 

 present as an insignificant widening of the frenum squamulave. 

 Posthumeral and inti-aalar macrochaetae not simultaneouslv pres- 

 ent. Thorax usually without a complete transverse suture. Pos- 

 talar callus absent. Hypopleural macrochaetas absent. 



Calyptratae.— Squamula alaris always distinctly developed; squam- 

 ula thoracalis very variable in size, in the higher forms larger than 

 the squamula alaris, often very much larger. Both posthumem 

 and intraalar macrochaetae present. Thorax with a complete ti-ansl- 

 verse suture. Postalar callus present and separated by a distinct 

 suture from the dorsum of the thorax. Hypopleural macrochaetae 

 present or absent. 



Even these definitions, as Girschner has pointed out, are 



