156 THE entomologist's record. 



collections until recently, when Mr. Champion [Ent. Mo. Ma^.,xxxiv., 

 52) pointed out that these specimens were only a large form of 

 (/labriroi^tris, and that no authentic British specimen of liitofnis was to be 

 found. My investigations have led me to the same conclusion. One of 

 our commonest species ; Camber, Rye, Pevensey, plentiful (Bennett) ; 

 Merton (Dr. Power). The variety ;i/V//77rtr.s/.s is less common, Pevensey 

 (Bennett); Candleston, Glamorganshire (Tomlin); Scarboro' (Lawson); 

 New Forest (Heasler) ; Isle of Wight (Lewis). These last were 

 mixed with frit in Dr. Power's collection! The large form 

 has been taken at Rye and Pevensey (Bennett) ; Merton (Dr. Power) 

 one specimen. 



B. ALTSMATis, Marsh., Ent. Brit., 273.— Bedel, vi., 104 and 279.— 

 Cox {Hydronoiiius), ii., 193. — Fowler, v., 287. — The bilobed and 

 pubescent tarsi easily separate this species, which is the commonest of 

 the genus, and found in all its stages on Alisma plautai/o all over the 

 kingdom. 



In conclusion I wish to express my great obligations to M. Bedel 

 for examining and corroborating types of all the British species, 

 and also for much valuable information. I am greatly indebted 

 to Mr. W. H. Bennett and Mr. 0. E. Janson, both of whom have 

 placed their collections at my service and given me many useful 

 hints, I have also been helped with specimens or information by the 

 following gentlemen, to whom I beg to tender my best thanks — Rev. 

 W. C. Hey, Drs. P. Mason and D. Sharp, Messrs. H. Donisthorpe, 

 E. G. Elliman, H. W. Ellis, H. Heasler, J. H. Keys and E. Saunders. 



The New System of the Dermaptera. 



By MALCOLM BUKR, B.A., F.L.S. 



Since referring in a previous number {ajitca, p. 96), to the 

 unsatisfactory condition of the Forjicularia, I have seen two remark- 

 able pnpers by Verhoeff, in which an entirely new arrangement is 

 adopted, and a variety of new characters used. 



The first paper is entitled " Uber Dermapteren, Aufsatz I, Versuch 

 eines neuen, naturlicheren Systems auf vergleichend-morphologischer 

 Grundlage und iiber den IMikrothorax der Insekten" (Zoulo;/. Anzeujer, 

 no. 665, March 1902), the other is "Uber Dermapteren, Aufsatz 2, 

 Nene ungefliigelte Eudermapteren-Gattungen " (Sitzuni/^-ljericItte der 

 Geaellscliaft NatiirfarscJu'wIer Frciinde, Berlin, no. 1, 1901). In the 

 first and more important, " Aufsatz," Dr. Verhoeff refers to the 

 lack of naturalness in the existing system as set forth by de Bormans 

 in his recent monograph, and discusses the unsatisfactory nature of the 

 characters upon which this system is based. He then proceeds to erect 

 an entirely new arrangement, based mainly upon the genital organs. 



Earwigs, as a whole, are regarded as an order, Dcriimptera, Brauer 

 (1885), which is subdivided into tAVo suborders, Paradermaptera and 

 Endermaptcra. The former includes the single family, Apac/ii/diac, 

 with the solitary genus AjiaclnjR, Serv. The suborder Faradeniiajitcra 

 is characterised by the form of the flattened pronotum, of the scutellum 

 and elytra, the shape of the 10th abdominal segment, with the 

 curious apical process with which is fused the pygidium, which he 

 calls the " squamo-pygidium." And here we find characters which 

 strike us as unfamiliar, for instance, pseudonotum, microthorax, 

 parameres, und the vasa deferentia, penis, virga and praenuptial sacks. 



