Sept., 1897.] 225 



THE COIvLEMBOIvA OF MITCHHI.STOWN CAVE. 



[Report on Material collected for the R.I. A. Flora and Fauna 



Committee.] 



BY GEORGE H. CARPENTER, B.SC. 



[Plate 2.] 



Two years ago in a paper (i) read before the Dublin 

 Naturalists' Field Club, I described two species of Collem- 

 bola from the famous cavern of Mitchelstown. Subsequently 

 Mr. H. L,. Jameson visited the cave and, during an exploration 

 of several hours, obtained a large series of specimens of its 

 insect inhabitants. He gave an account of his expedition 

 before the Dublin Club, and published a short list of the 

 various species observed, with some suggestive remarks as to 

 their varying degrees of adaptation to cave life (2). The 

 specimens which he collected were far more numerous than 

 those obtained by the members of the united Field Clubs in 

 1894 ^^^ described in my former paper; while a large pro- 

 portion of his material was in very good condition. I have, 

 for some time past, been examining the insects with a view to 

 supplement and correct my former observations. 



The two species described by me in 1895 were the Lipura 

 {L. Wrightii, Carp.) which the late A. H. Haliday and Prof. 

 B. P. Wright discovered in the cave forty years ago (13) and 

 a white blind springtail which I referred to the genus Si7iella 

 (Brook) under the name of S. cavernicola. The very large 

 series of the Lipura which Mr. Jameson collected has enabled 

 me to examine a number of specimens and correct several 

 errors in my earlier description. The most important point 

 now brought to light is that the species does possess a post- 

 antennal organ, which Mr. Haliday and I both failed to find in 

 the specimens we collected in the cave. As this organ is the 

 best specific character in the Lipiirce^ it is of value in com- 

 paring our species with its congeners. Of the springtail 



A 



