6 INTRODUCTION. 



Geoffrey,^ in 1762, placed Poclura and Forhicina 

 (Lepisma) between Pediculus (the Louse) and Pulex 

 (the Flea). He divided the Podurce into — lst,Globulos£e; 

 and 2nd, LongsD. Of the first group he described three 

 species under the names P. atra, P. viridis, and P. 

 jjohjpoda. 



His P. viridis is evidently the SmyntJmrus viridis of 

 subsequent authors, but P. atra and j^olyjjoda are more 

 difficult to identify. I have sometimes been disposed 

 to think that they were both founded on the common 

 brown Smynthurus, but it is possible that P. polypoda 

 may be my Pajnrius fuscus . Of the " Podures allongees" 

 Geoffrey describes seven species, namely, P. villosa, 

 which is evidently an Orchesella, and probably 0. 

 villosa; P. Uvido-lutea, which is probably Berjeeria 

 nivalis, or perhaps, as Geoffroy himself suggests, a 

 young specimen of P. mllosa ; P. annulata, which 

 appears to be Orcliesella cmcta; P. matica; P. aqua- 

 tica ; P. ijlumbea ; and P. violacca, which may be a 

 Lepidocyrtus, or, as Geoffroy himself suggests, a young 

 specimen of P. i^lumhea. Zepidocyrtus is, however, so 

 common that I incline to the first hypothesis. 



Of Forhicina Geoffroy described two species, F. plana, 

 and F. cylindrica. 



He characterised the genus Podura> as follows : — 

 " Pedes sex. Oculi duo. Antenn^E filiformes. Ab- 

 dominis Cauda bifurca inflexa saltatrix. Corpus squa- 

 mis tectum." The first three characters are common 

 to many other groups, and the last two are not general 

 in this. 



Of Forhicina he gave the following description : — 

 " Pedes sex, origine lata et squamosa. Oculi duo. Os 

 tentaculis duobus mobilibus. Antennge filiformes. 

 Abdominis caucla tripilis. Corpus squamis tectum." 



The following is a list of Geoff'roy's species : 



Podiira f usconigra = Smyntliurus fiiscus. 



,, viridis „ viridis. 



' ' Histoire des Insectes qui se trouvent aux environs de Paris.' 



