DIPTERA OF AUSTRALIA. 

 By Frederick A. A. Skuse. 



Part II.— THE SCIARID^. 



(Plate XI.) 



This contribution, like its predecessor, in no way pretends to be 

 more than an inti'oductory review of the group ; but in making 

 immediate use of such material as has been collected, however 

 inadequately that may represent the actual extent of the Aus- 

 tralian Sciai'ldpe, this beginning may at least furnish a basis for 

 future advancement. 



The amount of work hitherto done amongst the Sciaindse of this 

 continent, is evidenced by the record of only a single species, 

 namely S. reciproca, Walk., the description of which is absolutely 

 useless, and it is questionable if the name attached to Mr. 

 Walkei-'s type-specimen should be retained, unless the species be 

 re-described. 



It is somewhat remarkable that the naturalists of the "Novara" 

 and "Eugenie" expeditions in their collections of Australian 

 Diptera did not obtain here any Sciaridee, or even examples 

 of the next family, the Mycetophilidpe, more particularly as these 

 two groups elsewhere, and some equally obscure and small flies 

 here, were not completely overlooked. 



From the appended descriptions it will be seen that 42 species 

 are enumerated and described as new; if to these must be added 

 Mr. Walker's species, it brings the total up to 43, but this 

 must bear only a small proportion to the unknown number of 

 forms pi'evalent in the neighbourhood of Sydney alone. The 

 family is no doubt largely re[)resented in Australia, though 



