VI EDITOR S PREFACE. 



the Secretary of State for publication : — on the Cicindelida, 

 PaussidcE, and a General Introduction to the Coleoptera, by 

 Canon W. W. Fowler : on the Orthoptera, by Mr. W. F. 

 Kirby : on the Dermaptera, by Mr. Malcolm Burr : on the 

 Butterflies (third and last volume), by Lieutenant-Colonel 

 Bingham : on the Curculionidce, by Mr. G. A. K. Marshall : 

 on the Cetoniidce and Dynastida, by Mr. G. Arrow : on 

 the Ichneumonid(S, by Mr. Claude Morley : on Longicorn 

 Beetles, by Mr. C. J. Gahan : and on the Bnprestidce, by 

 Mr. E. P. Stebbing. 



Since that date, sanction has been obtained for an 

 Appendix to the volumes on the Rhynchota, by Mr. W. L. 

 Distant. In addition to the two (3rd and 4th) volumes on 

 Butterflies already mentioned, the Secretary of State for 

 India has also sanctioned a half volume on the Blattida, by 

 Mr. R. Shelford ; and a whole volume, instead of the half 

 volume previously sanctioned, on the Acridiidce and 

 Locustida, by Mr. Kirby. Further, approval has been given 

 for a second volume on the Mollusca, by Lieutenant-Colonel 

 H. H. Godwin-Austen. 



Although there are few better known insects in Europe 

 than the common Earwig, the Dermaptera are said to be 

 rare in most parts of the world. The Order, however, in 

 warm and tropical regions is rich in species. Hence, 

 although but two species are probably indigenous to our 

 islands, the number described by Dr. Burr from India 

 amounts to over one hundred and thirty. 



In the present work Dr. Burr has adopted a new classifi- 

 cation, and has incorporated in its pages the results of a 

 series of systematic Papers which he has published during 

 the last year or two. If we except some statements taken 

 from de Bormans^ account of Earwigs from Burma, a very 

 large proportion of this work is original. In the fifth 

 volume of the ' Cambridge Natural History ' Dr. Sharp 

 states: — "The classification of the earwigs is still in a 

 rudimentary state " : I do not think I exaggerate when 



