Animals fozmd in the Mitchehtowji Cave. 31 



the tj'pe species .S". airviseta, Brook, but may be readily distinguished by 

 the absence of eyes, of teeth to the hinder foot-claws, and of long clubbed 

 ciliated thoracic hairs ; and by the possession of distinct rings of hairs on 

 the terminal joint of the antennae. There are some long tapering 

 finely-ciliated hairs (fig. 15) on the second and third abdominal segments. 

 As in S. airviseta, there are a pair of long ciliated sheath-hairs at the apex 

 of the spring (fig. 14). 



Simlla cu7-viseta has occurred both in the north and south of England, 

 as well as on the Continent, but I do not think it has yet been recognised 

 in Ireland. The presence of a cave-species so nearly related makes it 

 likely that this or another open-air insect of the genus will be found here 

 too. 



For a long time I was disposed to consider S, cavernicola identical with 

 Degeeria cavernay-wn, Packard ; but the presence of a tenent hair on the 

 feet in that species obliges us to consider it a true Entotnobrya. It is hard 

 to find any other distinction which warrants the separation of our insect 

 from the North American spring-tail. 



LIPURID^, 



Lipura Wrightll, sp. nov. 



(Z. stiliddii, Wright and Haliday). 



(Plate 2, fig. 10.) 



Length 2 mm. White. Antennae as long as head; terminal joint 

 the longest, conical. No ocelli or post-antennal organ. Head longer 

 thai: broad, with hind-margin sinuate. PronotuLn with a constriction 

 on either side. Legs moderately long and stout. No anal spines. 



When recording the capture of this insect, and describing its 

 structure, in Dr. Wright's paper already mentioned, the late Mr. A. H. 

 Haliday referred it with doubt to Schiodte's species, and pointed out 

 various particulars in which it differs from that form. The most striking 

 of these is the entire absence, in the Mitchelstown insect, of the ocelli 

 (according to Tullbergand Sir J. Lubbock, really the post-antennal organ), 

 of which Mr. Haliday could find no trace. After so accurate an observer, 

 it is needless to say that I have also failed to find the organ. The legs 

 and antennae of our species, moreover, are not relatively so long and 

 slender as those of L, stiliddii. I am quite inclined to agree with Mr. 

 Haliday's suggestion that Schiodte was^mistaken in figuring all the 

 thoracic segments in his form as divided into an anterior and a posterior 

 part by a transverse constriction. When one is examining specimens 

 by transmitted light, the lateral extensions of the thorax which bear 

 the legs are readily to be mistaken for dorsal segments. There is on 

 either side of the pronotum a constriction running in for a very short 

 distance. This is shown in Haliday's figure, which represents the side 

 view of the insect. I have drawn the dorsal aspect, which will enable 

 comparison to be made with Schiodte's figure copied by Haliday. The 

 Mitchelstown species in the length of antennae and legs seems to be 

 intermediate between Lipira stiliddii and L. fimetaria, Lubb. — another 

 white species common in damp mould. While not so slender as those of 



