68 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [Mar., '19 



Caudell's paper on the North American Phasmidae (Proc. U. 

 S. Nat. Museum, Vol. 26, p. 884) in which he says "This 

 species (Timenm calif ornica) apparently represents a step in 

 the transition from the Phasmidae to the Forficulidae. The 

 forcipal cerci of the males, ventrally attached legs, short, broad 

 head, and especially the short, stout legs with the three- jointed 

 tarsi, indicate a relation to the earwigs. As Phasmids these 

 creatures are certainly anomalies, having in one instance at 

 least, been mistaken for a species of Perlid larvae." Handlirsch 

 himself must have been struck with the resemblance of the 

 Orthopteroid insects to the Dermaptera, since he attempts to 

 derive the latter insects from the former, although it is as- 

 tonishing that he should seek to reverse the evolutionary se- 

 quence and derive the Dermaptera from the Gryllidac — which 

 is just about on a par with the recent sensational attempt of 

 an English writer to prove that apes are descended from men ! 

 The only reason Handlirsch gives for thus arbitrarily discard- 

 ing all of the evidence of comparative anatomy, embryology, 

 etc., which clearly show that the Dermaptera are more primi- 

 tive than, and are doubtless "ancestral" to* the Orthoptera 

 in question, is that the known fossil remains of these Orthoptera 

 geologically antedate those of the fossil Dermaptera thus far 

 discovered. Handlirsch makes no allowance for the fact that 

 when the geological formations have been more thoroughly ex- 

 plored it will undoubtedly be found that Dermapterous in- 

 sects occur m these earlier strata also, and it is this calmly 

 ignoring the evidence of comparative anatomy and embryology 

 that has led him into all sorts of absurdities, such as attempt- 

 ing to derive the winged insects directly from Trilobites (which 

 are not even in the direct line of descent of the Insecta) with- 

 out reference to the anatomically primitive Apterygota (such 

 as the Protura, etc.), which he is inclined to regard as de- 

 generate winged insects ! It may be an indication of the trend 



*In stating that the Dermaptera are "ancestral to" the Orthoptera in 

 question, it is merely meant that they have departed but little .from the 

 condition which was probably characteristic of the ancestors of the 

 Orthoptera in question. 



