TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 43 



The suborder Cyclorrhapha is without doubt one of the most nat- 

 ural divisions of the Diptera, and yet its line of demarcation from the 

 Orthorrhapha is obscured by intermediate forms. For details on the 

 limitation of the suborders of Diptera the student is referred to the 

 works of Brauer, Osten-Sacken, and Williston. 



As to the limits of the series Schizophora, and the final conclu- 

 sions to be reached regarding the forms which naturally belong 

 within its boundaries, a word may be said with special reference to 

 the Pupipara. It seems quite evident that some, at least, of the latter 

 are simply degradedly specialized Schizophora. There are strong 

 points of resemblance, both in structure and in reproduction, between 

 Ornithomyia and Glossina. The venation is fundamentally of the 

 sam$ plan. In Ornithomyia the hind crossvein has been lost. The 

 apical crossvein is absent, and probably never was present. In 

 Trichobius the apical crossvein is not present, but the posterior one 

 is, and there is even a second posterior crossvein which has been 

 developed between the fifth and sixth veins. Trichobius has lost all 

 but a trace of the auxiliary vein. All the winged Pupipara show a 

 venation which indicates evolution from a Myodarian prototype. 

 Many of them seem quite closely allied structurally with the Myo- 

 daria, and it is also to be noted that we have as yet no proof of any 

 pupiparous habit in either the Streblidse or the Nycteribidse. In 

 fact, it is highly improbable that such exists. Kolenati, as long ago 

 as 1863, stated that the larvae of Streblidse live in bats' excrement. 

 If this is true, it is probable that the Nycteribidse also have a copro- 

 phagous larval habit. Mtiggenburg has investigated the morphol- 

 ogy of the Nycteribidse, and asserts that they possess no trace of a 

 ptilinum. On the other hand, he asserts that in Braula a ptilinum 

 exists, and that the mouth parts are essentially similar to those of the 

 Hippoboscidse. It is probable that the Streblidse and Nycteribidse 

 are derived from an extra-myodarian cyclorrhaphous stock. Miig- 

 genburg states that the Hippoboscidse and Braula are descended 

 from genuine muscid stock, and that the Nycteribidse are probably 

 derived from some ' other stock within the Cyclorrhapha. He 

 strongly indorses Brauer's judgment of the Pupipara as being nearly 

 related to the Myodaria. 



Robineau-Desvoidy's name Myodaria is adopted for the Eumyidae 

 of Brauer, the Muscidse s. lat. of authors. In the sense in which 

 it is here used, it includes both the CEstridse and the Conopidse. 

 Both Robineau-Desvoidy and Brauer were correct in their views on 

 the inclusion of these families in the section. It seems that Brauer 

 did not study Robineau-Desvoidy's Bssai sufficiently to know that 

 the latter author had, in T830, included the CEstridse with his Calyp- 



