XX11 PREFACE. 



As it was an indispensable part of my investigation to 

 attach a specific appellation to each species which appeared 

 undescribed, of which there occurred ninety- three ; I have 

 been most anxious, in every instance, to avoid giving a fresh 

 name where one was already in existence, when this could 

 be ascertained, but in many cases it has been impracticable, 

 from the fact, that although a great number of species have 

 been named and described by the late Professor Nitzsch, 

 his MSS. have not been published, thereby precluding the 

 opportunity of comparing specimens with his characters. 

 This loss has been partially compensated for by the worthy 

 successor of Nitzsch to the chair of Zoology in the Uni- 

 versity of Halle, Dr. Burmeister having characterized several 

 species in his valuable works, the " Handbook of Ento- 

 mology" and " Genera Insectorum." The remainder, it is 

 to be hoped, will soon be made public in an extensive 

 work Dr. B. is at present engaged upon, on the whole of 

 the Theirinsecten or Epizoica of Nitzsch, comprising several 

 hundred species. To fulfil this task no individual has such 

 ample means at his disposal of doing justice to the subject, 

 not only from his profound research and intimate acquaint- 

 ance with the science, but from his succeeding to the in- 

 valuable and extensive collection of specimens, as well as 

 the MSS. of his predecessor. In expectation, therefore, 

 of so valuable a contribution to the Entomological litera- 

 ture of Europe, I wish this Monograph to be considered as 

 only a Prodromus of the Anoplura of Great Britain, inas- 

 much as many additions will undoubtedly be made of species 

 which I have not had the good fortune to obtain ; and in 

 every instance where I have given a specific appellation 

 wish it to be provisional, and superseded by any other which 

 may be thought more appropriate, or which may claim 

 priority, but of whose existence I was ignorant. Indeed, 

 had I been aware of the above work of Dr. Burmeister's, 

 before I commenced my attempt at illustrating the same 



