AUTHOR S PREFACE. IX 



with the name Dermaptera, sanctioned by much use^ 

 rejecting the corrections suggested, such as Dermoptera by 

 Agassiz and Dermatoptera by Burmeister. 



No attempt had been made to subdivide earwigs into 

 smaller gi-oups until this was done by Verhoeff (1902), who 

 based his classification upon the genitalia. His system has 

 the double disadvantage of being impracticable for ordinary 

 purposes, and incomplete. Many of his characters are of 

 doubtful value, and some of his Avork will probably never be 

 accepted, while it is not free from inaccuracy, involved 

 synonymy, and other drawbacks. It was, however, the first 

 attempt to reject the empirical arrangement, with which 

 de Bormans, for want of material, had been obliged to be 

 content. As such it merits recognition and approbation. 



The writer of this work has endeavoured to pick out those 

 portions of Verhoeff's Avork which appear to him to be 

 souna, to retain the best part of de Bormans' system, to add 

 a considerable amount of new material and original observa- 

 tion and to produce a harmonious whole. The result of this 

 attempt is set forth in the following pages. 



Families and subfamilies were first established by Verhoeff, 

 but his definitions are not always retained, and his separation 

 of the Apachjidxe into a suborder under the name Para- 

 dermaptera is rejected. Only five families are retained, each 

 divided into a varying number of subfamilies. A careful 

 study of the characterisation of these groups is essential 

 to the understanding of the Dermaptera as a whole; the 

 main outline of this new classification is presented in the 

 synoptical table of families on page 31. 



The author is engaged at the same time upon a general 

 revision and Monograph of the Earwigs of the world, and the 

 system put forward in the following pages is that which he 

 has so far adopted in his manuscript of the larger work. 



It is unnecessary to add with what pleasure criticism and 

 suggestions will be received. Above all, fresh material is 

 most urgently required, in order that a solution may be 

 obtained for the still remaining problems. 



