CORDYLURIDiE. 
639 
rice-stems which harbour the larvae are easily pulled out from the 
ensheathing leaves, and then present the appearance of having been 
chewed in the mouth. As is the case with all stem-flies, no effective 
remedy has been discovered : while the fly frequently does considerable 
damage to the young rice, it is by no means a specific pest of this 
crop, but has apparently very varied habits. It has been bred from 
rice, sorghum, maize, millets, cheena ( Panicum miliaceum), sama (P. 
frumentaceum) , celery, khira ( Cucumis sativus) and brinjal, from 
wheat, which it damaged considerably in the neighbourhood of Harnai 
(Baluchistan) 1909, and also from rotten potatoes and decaying 
vegetable matter of various kinds. This would point to the possibility 
of its occurring in rice only after the stem had been otherwise damaged, 
but such is not the case. Except for the Bice-stem fly, the family is on 
the whole a distinctly beneficial one, for not only do the larvse eat up 
dung and other unpleasant substances, but many of the adults are 
predaceous, and like most predaceous flies possess large appetites. In 
the hills at Mussoorie I have found Scatophaga very common, especially 
about excrement, and the common species (S. stercoraria , which occurs 
also in Europe) is very conspicuous from the yellow woolly hair with 
which the male is covered. (PI. LXVII, fig. 10.) I have not met with 
Scatophaga in the plains, but Hydromyzince occur there as well as in 
the hills, and may be seen in company with Anthomyiids, Ephydrids 
and Dolichopodids, hunting for prey on the edges of well-puddles, the 
mud of tanks and rivers, and even in the spray of waterfalls. Their 
victims are sometimes small drowning flies, and often aquatic larvae 
(including those of Mosquitos and Tabanids) which they will not 
unfrequently even drag from the water to devour at leisure on dry 
land. The flies are generally difficult to catch, as they fly very 
nimbly and close to the mud or to the surface of the water. 
The table of sub-families is abridged from Becker’s monograph 
of the family (Dipterologische Studien I. Scatomyzidce. Berlin, Ent. 
Zeit., 1894) in which he enumerates 125 European species. 
1. Scutellum with at least four bristles ; 
wings generally long. If short, then 
the abdomen unusually long .. 2 
Two to four scutellar bristles. Wings 
generally short and rounded ., 3 
