ORTHOPTEUA. 407 



considered it as a portion of the Ortlioptcra ; with which, indeed, in 

 the structure of the mouth, and the nature of its transformations, it 

 certainly corresponds; the chief difference between them arising from 

 the diversified structure and folding of the wings and wing-covers; in 

 which respect it bears a relation to the Coleoptera, but certainly 

 far weaker than that which it possesses towards the other Orthoptera; 

 which also vary amongst themselves in the nature and position of the 

 organs of flight. It is on these grounds, and more particularly in 

 respect to the nature of their internal organs, that the earwigs are to 

 be regarded as an osculant order, intervening between the Coleoptera 

 and Orthoptera, but most nearly related to the latter. 



As the order consists but of a single family, Forficulid^ Steph., 

 it will not be necessary to enter into any further details as to its cha- 

 racters. Dr. Leach divided the order into three genera, from the 

 number of joints of the antennae; namely, Labidura, 30 joints; For- 

 ficula, 14; and Labia, 12. The precise adoption of this character 

 amongst the foreign species would, however, necessitate the introduc- 

 tion of a far greater number of genera ; Latreille accordingly reduced 

 Leach's genera to two, chai'acterised by their having fewer or more 

 than 14 joints: he, however, added another genus, Chelidoura, for the 

 species which do not acquire wings. More recently, Serville has pro- 

 posed various additional genera, or rather subgenera, in his memoir 

 above referred to, amongst which may be mentioned Pyragra, founded 

 upon a large species from Cayenne, with 40 joints to the antennae ; 

 and Apachyus (Forficula depressa Pal. B. Ortli. pi. 1. f. 5.), the body 

 of which is not thicker than a card, M. BruUe has reduced all these 

 genera to the single genus Forficula; instituting only two sections, 

 from the greater or less number of joints of the antennae ; a step 

 which certainly appears to me to be exceptionable. 



Order ORTHOPTERA* 0/«Wer. (\1-eu\vter\ ^t. Linnceus. Der- 

 MAPTERA De Geer. Hemiptera, nee. Dermaptera Retzius. 

 Ulonata p. Fabi-icius, Deratoptera p. Clairville.) 



Char. Anterior wings (tegmina) pergameneous, large, thickly veined, 

 over]aj)ping at the tips. 



* RiBMonu. Refer, to the Outhopteka in Generat,. 

 SluU. Representations dcs Spectres, Mantes, et Sauterclles, &c., 4to. Anistcrclam, 

 17S0— 1788. 



1) D 4 



