INTEODUCTION. 



In submitting the first volume of a general Catalogue of 

 Ortlioj)tera to the Entomological public, it appears desiraljle to 

 make some remarks on the most important recent works on the 

 families included in it, and on the general arrangement of the 

 Collection. 



Eight principal families of Ortlioptera are recognized in the 

 present work, of which the first five — Fovfindida-, IlemhneriJw, 

 J3lattidce, Mantida', and Phasmidce (or Earwigs, Cockroaches, 

 Praying Insects or Soothsavers, and Stick Insects or J^pectre 

 Insects, including the so-called AValking Leaves) — are catalogued 

 in this volume. Of these the Foi'pcididcc, Ulattidcc, and Mantidw 

 of Mexico and Central America have been monographed by 

 De Bormans, De Saussure, and Zehntner in the ' Biologia 

 Centrali-Americana.' 



The whole of the Ortlioptera in the British Museum were 

 arranoed, in the first instance, bv Adam White. 



The Forjicididce were subsequently rearranged by J. 0. AVest- 

 wood, who, however, juiblished little of importance on the 

 family. They are frequently regarded as a distinct order, to 

 which the names Derma[itera and Euplexoptera have l)een 

 applied. The former name, however, has sometimes been used 

 for the Ortlioptera in general. Till recently the Forfjcididcchnw 

 been somewhat neglected by Entomologists ; but in IIKK) a 

 monograph on the Forj!cidid(C and lldidmerUhc. liy H. de Bormans 

 and II, Krau.-s, was puljlished as a volume of the series of 



