Series Orthorrhapha. Key to the New Zealand Families. Third joint of the antennæ annulated. Costa stopping at the tip of the wing Stratiomyidæ. Costa continued all round the wing Tabanidæ. Third joint of the antennæ simple. Thorax and abdomen inflated Cyrtidæ. Thorax and abdomen not inflated.   Five posterior cells.     Empodia styliform; fourth posterior cell often closed Asilidæ.     Empodia absent; fourth posterior cell always open Therevidæ.   Four posterior cells Bombylidæ.   Three posterior cells.     Second basal cell separated from the discal Empidæ.     Second basal cell united to discal Dolichopodidæ. Family Stratiomyidæ. “Three basal cells, much prolonged; veins of the main trunks very crowded anteriorly; both intercalary veins usually existing; costal vein reaching only to the middle of the wing Third joint of the antennæ annulated, sometimes divided into several portions. Tibiæ without spurs; empodia much developed, pulvilliform” (Loew). Key to the New Zealand Genera. Scutellum with four spines. An intercalary vein from the discal cell Exaireta. No intercalary vein from the discal cell Beris. Scutellum with two spines. Posterior veins of the wing weak Odontomyia. Posterior veins of the wing strong Clitellaria. Scutellum without spines Cyclogaster. Sub-family Beridinæ. Abdomen showing seven segments. Genus Exaireta, Schiner (1867). Antennæ filiform, the flagellum with ten rings generally indistinct near the end; no style, but a few bristles on the point. Eyes not contiguous in either sex. Scutellum with four long spines. Abdomen flat, with seven segments. Third longitudinal vein of the wing forked; an intercalary vein from the discal cell which sometimes does not reach the margin. Key to the Species. Thorax black E. spiniger. Thorax bright bluish-green. Length, 10 mm. E. alpina. Length, 4 mm. E. opposita. Thorax dark reddish-brown or bronzy. Abdomen ferruginous, with a black tip E. apicalis. Abdomen purplish, without a black tip E. straznitzkii.