136 THE entomologist's record. 



Palseontology ; the ideal is perhaps difficult of attainment on account 

 of the expense, but outline illustrations are cheap, and are decidedly 

 better than nothing. 



A third avoidable error, and a serious one, is the poverty of general 

 remarks upon the affinities of new species. 



A fourth is the form of the descriptions, reduced to extreme con- 

 ciseness on the model of those given in de Bormans' Monograph, where 

 stress is laid on unimportant characters, valuable features being often 

 overlooked. 



We may now proceed to consider the four papers in order, dealing 

 with the different species described. 



No. I is a synopsis of the earwigs known to the authors to occur 

 in Japan. It is interesting to learn that Labtdura riparia, Haan, and 

 Forjicnla tomis, Kol., are harmful to the silk growers, as they eagerly 

 devour the larvfe ; that Aptenji/ida japonica, Borm., as well as Aniso- 

 labis inaiitiwa, Bon., is a coast-loving insect, and that both feed on 

 dried herrings, and that Labia yezoensis, Mats, and Shir., is useful, 

 devouring insects which damage leaves, such as Cacaecia rosaceana oxidi 

 C. sorbiana, which do great damage to fruit in Hokkaido. 



The synoptical table of genera on p. 76 is adopted direct from 

 de Bormans, whose arrangement of the innumerable forms of Labidura 

 riparia is naturally followed by the authors. 



We observe here for the first time that each species is credited 

 with a trivial name ; this leads us to wonder whether the Japanese 

 peasants discriminate the various species of earwigs, or whether these 

 are invented by the authors, on the lines of some of the egregious 

 popular names of our Biitish lepidoptera. They all appear to end 

 with the word " hasamimushi," which is the name for Anisolahis 

 marifiiiia : Ohasamimushi is L. riparia ; probably this simply means 

 "earwig," the various prefixes being fancy epithets, as we see Labia 

 yezoensis is called " Yezo-hasamimushi." Labia yezoensis is a new species 

 of which the male is figured, together with the forceps of the female. 

 In figure and description it appears to agree fairly well with Spongi- 

 phora leirisi, Borm. {Ann. Mag. N.H. (7), xi., p. 234, 1903), although 

 the pygidium appears to differ somewhat. But it is a well-known fact 

 that, in species where this organ is large, and specialised, its develop- 

 ment varies to a considerable extent in dift'erent individuals. As 

 8. lewid was described two years before this paper appeared, the burden 

 of proof lies with the latter authors, and it is pretty safe to assume that 

 »-.^ Labia yezoensis is a synonym of 5. leuid until the contrary is proved. 



Forficula tomis, Kol., has recently been divided into two species by 

 Semenoff (Rev. Ritsse d' Ent., 1908, p. 166) who restricted that name to 

 the Eurasian form, separating the Japanese stouter and larger insect 

 as a distinct species under the name F. robusta, Sem. 



Apterygida japonica, Borm., is now recognised as a true Anechnra. 

 "^ Apterygida longipygi (p. 84, fig. 2) is beyond any doubt whatever 



identical with Furficida mikado, i3urr {Trans. Ent. Soc. Loud., 1904, 

 p. 319), under which it consequently falls as a synonym. 

 _^^ Chelidura diminnta (p. 85, fig. 3) is obviously immature; the des- 



cription of immature specimens of fully-winged forms as new species, 

 even as new genera, is a mistake not uncommonly made by Dermap- 

 terists whose experience has not been very extensive. To what species 



