BRITISH INSECTS 



the extremity of the body. The long, outward-spread 

 antennae protruding from the head, and the double 

 " tail " at the other end, together with the prominent 

 segments of the body, go to make up a most interesting 

 creature, though, truth to tell, it is seen to best advan- 

 tage when examined under a lens, being by no means 

 of large proportions as has already been hinted earlier 

 on. These Bristle-Tails are split up into four famiHes, 

 and although they differ a great deal in appearance and 

 structure, we need not pursue the matter here, except 

 to point out that in Campodea staphylinus (see Fig. 2, 

 the species we had in mind when giving a general de- 

 scription above), we meet with what is stated to be 

 " perhaps the most primitive of all insects." It is of 

 small size, being about a quarter of an inch in length, 

 almost white in colour, and of very active disposition. 

 It may be found in garden and other refuse. 



A representative of another family, namely, Japyx 

 solifugus, more or less resembles the species just de- 

 scribed, except that the " bristle-tail " is replaced with 

 incurved forceps, or pincers, which strikingly remind 

 one of those possessed by the more famihar Earwig. 

 A member of another family of the Sub-Order Thysa- 

 nura, is Lepisma saccharina, commonly known as the 

 Fish Insect because it is covered with silvery-grey scales 

 (Fig. 3). In spite of its fanciful association with aquatic 

 life, the Fish Insect is a tenant of much drier situations 

 than are affected by members of the finny tribe, as it 

 resorts to warehouses, clothes presses, libraries, and 

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