612 
DIPTERA. 
uncommonly be found upon or under the leaves where they have been 
feeding, or on the earth below, and of the others also the pupse as a rule are 
found at or very close to the spot where the larvae lived. The flies them¬ 
selves are easily put in their proper family owing to the presence of the 
“ false vein ” shown on PI. LIX. Their colouring is generally rather 
striking, and often includes yellow bands or stripes. Many of them 
resemble Hymenoptera, often very closely. As mentioned above, 
there are a large number of genera and species in the hills, and many of 
these are listed by Brunetti (Ind. Mus. Rec.), while a mass of valuable 
information on the European species is to be found in Yerrall’s “ British 
Flies,” to which the student is referred. 
Platypezidas. 
Small flies, not bristly, with bind tar si of the males enlarged or ornamented. 
Head as broad as the thorax. Eyes touching in the male, sometimes in 
the female. Two first joints of antennce short , 3 rd longer, with terminal 
arista. Basal and anal cells short. Posterior cross-vein sometimes 
absent ( i.e ., there may be no closed discal cell). 
These curious little flies are generally looked upon as rarities in 
Europe, but they are not very uncommon in the plains during the rainy 
season, and from the fact that the larvae appear to live in rotten fungus 
one would expect to find that they occur even more frequently in the hills. 
In the plains they may sometimes be seen running on broad leaves under 
trees, travelling round and round in little circles, and expending a vast 
amount of energy without any obvious purpose or perceptible result. 
In their way of moving and in their colour and general shape they some¬ 
what resemble Phoridce. The family is quite a small one, and of no 
economic interest. A species of Platypeza from Mussoorie is figured on 
PL LXVI. The student should refer to Verrall’s u British Flies ” for 
information on the European species. 
PlPUNCULIDyE. 
Small flies, not bristly. Head very large and round , mostly made up of 
the eyes, which touch in the male. Antennce 3-jointed, 3rd joint 
pointed at the end with a dorsal arista. Female ovipositor strong and 
prominent. Wings long. 1st posterior cell nearly closed. Basal and 
anal cells long, the latter closed near the margin. 
The remarkably large eyes and head of this family, together with the 
long wings, render its members easily recognisable. Their life-history is 
