42 smithsonian miscellaneous collections vol. 5 1 



Synopses 



It seems desirable to state at the outset that the subject of tax- 

 onomic divisions is approached in this paper entirely without preju- 

 dice. The main lines of interest in all departments of biology lie in 

 problems of descent, distribution, and bionomics, and the only de- 

 sirable point as regards classification is to secure a correct delimita- 

 tion of forms so that they can be definitely referred to by name. 



This paper also distinctly disclaims any attempt or intention to 

 present a taxonomic system that is entirely original, likewise any 

 attempt to follow any particular author or authors — in either case to 

 the exclusion of any useful and valid characters already pointed out 

 by previous authors. This is not intended to be a revolutionary 

 scheme of classification in any sense, nor one that will upset any 

 previously conceived ideas of recognized taxonomic value. Rather 

 have all available characters been used that could be brought together 

 for a clear definition of the various divisions in each case, those of 

 value being adopted wherever they were to be found, whether old, 

 recent, or newly worked out. As a matter of fact, the present paper 

 is naturally based largely on Brauer's extensive and careful work. 

 but the latter is not by any mean- followed blindly or undeviatingly, 

 and points arc at the same time drawn from Robineau-Desvoidy and 

 Rondani. Brauer based his work to a very considerable extent upon 

 the work of the latter authors, and Rondani drew many valuable 

 ideas from the work of Robineau-Desvoidy, whose reviser he be- 

 came. As already pointed out, these three students are the ones to 

 whom we owe most for our present knowledge of the Muscoidea, 

 and of these Brauer naturally accomplished the most, since he en- 

 joyed the greatest advantages. Any one who will conscientiously 

 study this superfamily can not fail of the conviction that Brauer and 

 von Bergenstamm's work, while not by any means perfect, is by far 

 the best that has ever been produced on these flies. The object of 

 the writer of the present paper has uniformly been to sift the entire 

 subject, retaining the good, discarding the useless, and adding such 

 ideas of value as it lias been possible to develop independently. 



The following tabular arrangement of taxonomic divisions is in- 

 tended to convey at a glance an idea of the system of classification 

 adopted : 



Order Diptera. Family Tachinidae. 



Suborder Cyclorrhapha. Subfamily Tachininae. 



Series Schizophora. Tribe Tachinini. 



Section Myodaria. Genus Tachina. 



Subsection Schizometopa. Species larvarflm. 

 Superfamily Muso 



