117 



AN HISTORICALACCOUNT OFTHE PSEUDOSCORPION- 

 FAUNA OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



By H. Wallis Kew. 



{Read June 21th, 1916.) 



Figs. 1-2. 



The False-Scorpions are almost world-wide in distribution and 

 one may be sure that they have been known to man almost 

 everywhere in all ages. But records of such knowledge, pre- 

 served and accessible to us, are scarce until comparatively recent 

 times ; and indeed they do not become numerous until within 

 the life-time of men now living. There are two references to 

 these creatures in the works known to us as the Histories of 

 Animals of Aristotle which have undoubtedly come down from 

 what we regard as a remote age. The animals are there stated 

 to be found in books. Next, towards the renaissance of the 

 sciences, there is a mention of them by Scaliger, in 1557, who 

 gives for them the same habitat, and tells us that he found one 

 in Aristotle's book itself. After this, if we pass over a restate- 

 ment of Aristotle and Scaliger by Aldrovandi, in 1602, there is 

 nothing antedating the work of Hooke, with which the present 

 account commences. The Royal Society's order for the printing 

 of this work is dated November 23rd, 1664, and the book was 

 on sale before the then end of that year.* It contains the first 

 detailed description and the first figure of any animal of this 

 Order. 



* Cf. Pepys ; January 20th, 166 f : "To my bookseller's, and there 

 took home Hook's book of microscopy, a mojst excellent piece, ," 

 The date on the book itself is 1665, 



