Introduction 



So many additions to our knowledge of the millipeds of North America 

 and so many changes in their classification have been made since the issue 

 of Charles H. Bollman's "Catalogue of the Known Myriopods of North 

 America Nortli of Mexico" ^ that an up-to-date checklist has long been a 

 desideratum. The present annotated list has been prepared to meet this 

 need. Bollman's catalogue recognized 114 species under 29 genera (sub- 

 sequently adding 5 more species). The present list accounts for approxi- 

 mately six times as many, recording some 749 species and subspecies, and 

 200 genera from the same area. 



The work thus far on our milliped fauna has been mainly descriptive, but 

 the time now seems ripe for synthesis and evaluation of the information at 

 hand. It is hoped that this compilation will stimulate and facilitate the 

 work of other students, for much remains to be done, both to fill in the gaps 

 in our knowledge and to clarify the taxonomy, distributions, and ecological 

 relationships of this relatively neglected group of arthropods. 



It is not the purpose of a checklist such as this to revise groups or to> 

 initiate changes. In general, we record genera, species, and other groups 

 as they have been published, indicating however, those names that we judge 

 to be synonyms and giving in all cases pertinent bibliographic references. 

 For each species we have sought to give the type locality as accurately as 

 possible, the location of the type specimen, and the distribution as far as is 

 presently known. The latter usually can be stated in general terms only, 

 because of the dearth of records (a shortcoming that must be remedied by 

 future workers) . Particularly is this true of the western forms, the majority 

 of which are "known from the type locality only." Our statements of dis- 

 tribution are based primarily upon localities for specimens examined by 

 us, and by literature references which we consider reliable. 



We cite in our references not only the original description, but also liter- 

 ature giving an illustration or other such information regarded as important, 

 and also the place in which the binomial here adopted was first used. Where 

 synonyms are indicated, the type locality for each form placed in synonymy 

 is given, where possible, following the literature reference. 



The several instances of departure from established arrangement are 

 based upon unpublished studies by one or both of the authors and are 

 indicated by footnote commentary. 



^ Published posthumously in his "Myriapoda of North America," U. S. Nat. Mus. BulL 

 46, pp. 117-130, 1893. 



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