56 DIPTERA OF AUSTRALIA, 



sub-family. The claws weakly developed, with apparently only 

 one cushion. Wings incumbent ; proportionately large and broad, 

 rounded at the apex, cuneiformly narrowed at the base ; as a 

 rule hyaline though sometimes pellucid, with a pale bluish or 

 brownish tint, generally beautifully iridescent ; sometimes mar- 

 morated ; more or less covered with irregularly arranged hairs ; 

 occasionally scaly ; all the anterior margin scalous ; deeply ciliated 

 at the apex and on the posterior margin. The number of longi- 

 tudinal veins amounts to at least two or at most five, never les8 

 than four in the second sub-family, or more than four in the first 

 sub-family. ]n both sub-families the last two longitudinal veins 

 often coalesce for the first half of their length, forming beyond a 

 more or less distinct fork. The additional longitudinal vein of the 

 Lestremixa is inserted between the second and third veins of the 

 first sub-family, and is furcate in all genera but Gampylomyza. A 

 longitudinal wing-fold generally has its position just in front of the 

 third longitudinal vein^ and often partially encloses the latter, or 

 less frequently totally excludes it from view. No species has more 

 than one transverse or cross-\ein, which lies between the first and 

 second longitudinal veins, but it is frequently most indistinct, or 

 sometimes altogether wanting. Abdomen elongate, composed of 

 nine segments ; in the ^ cylindrical, provided with large holding 

 forceps ; in the 5 acuminate, with a protruding or non-protruding 

 ovipositor, rarely without two small lamellae ; the whole body with a 

 covering of fine delicate hairs, or less frequently scales or scaly 

 hairs, the latter occurring more often on the under surface of the 

 abdomen and legs. 



The prevailing body-colours seem to be shades of yellow and 

 red, darkening into brown proportionately as the integument 

 becomes more horny. The expanse of the largest species exceeds 

 four lines, that of the smallest less that a line. Regarding the 

 relative number of the two sexes the females seem to be far more 

 numerous than the males. 



Sub-family I. CECiDOMYINA. 

 Wings with not more than four longitudinal veins, the two last 

 frequently combining in the beginning of their course, forming a 



