Note J — Chapter XII · HOMINOXIOUS ARTHROPODS
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The classification of the Muscoidea as set forth by Schiner and other earlier writers has long been followed, although it is not satisfactory, being admittedly more or less artificial. Within the last two or three decades several schemes have been advanced, that of Brauer and Bergenstamm and of Girschner, with the modifications of Schnabl and Dziedzicki having obtained most favor in Europe. Townsend, in 1908, proposed a system which differs from Girschner's in some respects, but unfortunately it has not yet been published in sufficient detail to permit us to adopt it. From considerations of expediency we use here the arrangement given in Aldrich's Catalogue of North American Diptera, though we have drawn very freely upon Girschner's most excellent paper for taxonomic characters to separate the various groups.
It may sometimes be found that a species does not agree in all the characters with the synopsis; in this case it must be placed in the group with which it has the most characters in common.