6 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



concerns us most is his famous Proih-omm dcr europaischen Orthopteren, 

 Leipzig, 1882, which contains a complete monograph of the 

 orthoptera of the European fauna and the neighbouring regions, 

 Algeria, Syria, and Asia Minor, but so little had our orthoptera 

 been studied in the eighties that we search in vain for a recognition 

 of this Avork until the appearance of Mr. Eland Shaw's Sijnopfiis of the 

 IJriti.^h OrtJiojitcra^'' in 1889-90. The publication of Brunner's 

 PrinlroDiiis was folloAved by a flood of small faunistic papers from 

 various parts of Europe, and gave a very pronounced impetus to the 

 study of the group, which was becoming daily more popular. Finot 

 also was elucidating the fauna of France, Algeria and Tunis, whilst 

 Bolivar Avas hard at Avork in Spain, though by no means confining his 

 attention to Palasarctic forms, and various important memoirs on the 

 orthoptera of Europe and the Avorld A\^ere contributed by Krauss, Karsch, 

 Kirby, Pictet, Scudder, and A'ariou; American authors. The best 

 commentary upon the stagnant condition of the study of our knoAvledge 

 of the order in Great Britain, is that Brunner had only Stephens' AA'ork 

 to quote for species occurring in our islands. 



The first special study of the British orthoptera, is the Si/iiopsis 

 of Mr. Eland ShaAV, above referred to. From a systematic point of 

 vieAV, it is a mere adaptation of Brunner's Prodromiix, but the general 

 information giA'en, and the various additions to our knoAvledge of their 

 distribution are important and interesting. This Si/uojms marks the 

 commencement of the modern epoch of the study of British orthoptera, 

 as the Prodroiinis marked it in Europe, for Fischer's great Avork in 

 1853, Avhich also marked an era in Europe, Avas unfelt in Britain. 

 During the last ten years, British entomologists haA'e paid more and 

 more attention to orthoptera, and from being a rarity, letters upon 

 the subject haA-e become frequent in the magazines. In 1889, a sketchy 

 and not very useful paper appeared in the Entomohujist, by EdAA'ard 

 Ingleby Miller, Avho quotes Fischer and Brunner, it is true, but appears 

 to haA'e profited little by them. In recent years, obserA^ations upon 

 orthoptera have appeared from time to time from the pens of INIessrs. 

 Dale, Briggs, Porritt, Lucas and myself. In 1897, I produced a 

 small handbook entitled British ()rthopterd^\ Avhich brought Eland 

 ShaAv's Synopsis up to date, and gave many general additions. We are 

 at last AA'ell in line Avith the continental authors, but, on looking back, 

 hoAV many species haA'e been added to our list since Stephens' time ? 

 SeA'eral exotic Forficiilaria and lilattodea, but only a single indigenous 

 species, Foyjicida lesnci, Fin. ih'canthus jidlitccns, Scop., Oedipnda 

 caernlesccns, Linn., Psophiis stridulus, Linn., Xijdiidiiiiii fiisciDii, Fabr., 

 have been rejected and many of his names reduced to the position of 

 synonyms ; a fair number of ncAv localities haA-e been added, but the 

 fact remains, that during the last sixty-fiA-e years, only a single fresh 

 endemic species has been discovered. Our fauna is poor, it is true, 

 but there may aa'oII be further species to find. Tcttix fidifiinosus, Zett., 

 should occur in Scotland, and possibly I'odisma frinida, Boh., Steno- 

 botlinis biiiitttidiis, Linn., and <S'. l/mi/ivornis, Latr., in the southern 



monographs of the Stciiopclnidtidne and Gnjllacridae (1888), Proxcopidac (1890), 

 Additaiiientd to the Pliaiieropteiidae (1891), Pseudoplnjllidac (1894), and a great 

 lievinion of the entire system of the Orthoptera (Genoa, 1878). 



1" Ent. Mo. McKj., isS9-«0. 



I'' Keprinted from the NaturuUKfa Juurnal, Huddersfield, 1897. 



