INrltODTTCTIOiT. O 



extended back to the wing-base. Face, mouth- 

 margin, and jowls without strong bristles. 

 Thorax rarely with a soft pubescence. Eyes of 

 the (S sometimes touching or approximated. 



Imagines always predaceous Microphona. 



Wings pointed at the tip ; venation abnormal, as 

 the 2nd and 3rd veins end close together almost 

 at the wing-tip ; no obvious cross-vein, and the 

 discal cell absent or reduced to a short middle 

 basal cell. Face with strong bristles round the 

 mouth-margin. Thorax with bristles but no 

 pubescence. Eyes widely and equally separated 

 in both sexes. Antennae short and porrect, with 

 a long subdorsal arista. Colour always dull 

 yellowish, brownish, or greyish, but never green 

 or metallic Acroptera. 



Verrall incorporates in the above table the sixteen families of 

 Brachycera which occur in Britain, as well as the seven super- 

 families, which accounts for characters of minor value often being 

 added, but it has seemed better to give his actual diagnoses of the 

 higher groups in full than to attempt to abbreviate them. One or 

 two terms in the venation aud so on are changed for the purpose 

 of preserving uniformity with ray previous volume. His table 

 (pp. 14 to 30) is illustrated with typical figures and is a veritable 

 epitome of the salient characters of the Braciiycera. 



Coming to families, there has been less difference of opinion 

 amongst authors than as regards the higher groups, probably 

 because the characters are drawn solely from the perfect insects. 

 The exact rank of the Coenomyid.e and XYLOPHAGiDiE as families 

 has been questioned, and the affinities of the LoNCHOPTERiDiE and 

 Phoriile have given rise to considerable discussion. Notes on 

 these points Avill be found under the respective family headings. 

 I follow Osten-Sacken aud Verrall in placing the Xylomyisle 

 subfamily of Xylopiiagid2e in the IStratiomyiDjE, and the remain- 

 ing subfamily, the Xyloph agist je, in the Leptid^e, to which 

 family also the Ccestomyiile are referred as a subfamily. 



Some authors have desired to remove the Myopinje subfamily 

 from the Costopid.e to the Muscidjs and also to disband the 

 <Estrid2e altogether and spread the genera amongst the Muscidje, 

 but with these views I cannot concur. 



Of two other families the taxotiomic rank has been occasionally 

 disputed, the Acasthomerid,e and Apiocerid.e, but as neither 

 group occurs in the Orient they need not be discussed here. The 

 former family contains the most gigantic flies known, so far as 

 bulk goes, measuring up to 40 millimetres in length and 80 milli- 

 metres in expanse of the wings, and they are confined to the 

 Neotropical Begion. They are allied to the Steatiomyiple, 

 Leptid^e, and Tabanid.e. The Apiocerid^e are akin to both the 

 Mydaiixe and Asiliple. Both these groups are now admitted to 

 be of family rank. 



