556 
DIPT ERA. 
Cubitus 2 .. Posterior basal cross-vein. 
Anal .. .. 6th Longitudinal. 
Some of the terms here used in describing flies may need expla¬ 
nation. 
Fig 353— Squamae or a bluebottle, seen 
FROM THE SIDE AS TWO WHITISH FLAPS 
COVERING THE HALTERE ; THE OVAL HEAD 
OF THE LATTER IS SHOWN IN THE CENTRE 
OF THE FIGURE. 
Squamae (fig. 353), are small membranous flaps covering the little 
knobbed rods called halteres at the base of the wing. The part of the 
head between the eyes and above 
the antennae is called the front, 
and rows of bristles down its 
sides are called the fronto-orbital 
bristles (PL LVIII). A large 
single bristle on the tibiae some 
little way above its lower end 
is called a pre-apical bristle . 
On the feet the two outer pads 
are called the pulvilli, the 
middle one the empodium. 
The study of Indian Dip- 
tera has until quite recently 
been much neglected. With 
the exception of a small amount 
of information contained in Indian Museum Notes, practically no record 
of work on the habits and life-histories of any but the Culicidce has been 
found. In this latter family the student will be greatly helped by Giles’ 
“ Mosquitos ”, James and Liston’s “Anopheles of India,” the latter 
with excellent plates, and Theobald’s “Monograph of the Culicidse,” 
together with other more scattered literature. Dr. Speiser’s writings on 
Pupipara contain many references to Asiatic species, and those parts of 
“ Genera Insectorum,” which refer to Diptera will be found useful when 
they are available for reference. For the rest, Van der Wulp’s “ Cata¬ 
logue of the Diptera of S. Asia ” (up to 1896) is essential, and will form 
the basis of all future work. In it will be found references to former 
literature and to the original descriptions of a large number of Asiatic 
species. As a really general text-book in English does not yet exist, a 
beginner would probably do best with the just published edition of 
Williston’s excellent “ N. American Diptera,” remembering that it treats 
only of American species. The Indian Museum is at present publishing 
