32 



monographs which have since proceeded from the pen of this illus- 

 trious entomologist. A few years later it was followed by a " Mono- 

 graph of the Phaneropteridse," and these two works together have 

 served as models for all more recent monographs. At the same time, 

 Brunner's great disciple, Stal, did the good work of revising the types 

 of the earlier Swedish authors — Linnreus, de Geer, and Thunberg, — 

 adding also many new genera and proposing new systems. He attacks 

 several groups in his own serious manner ; but still, as Brunner 

 remarks, the most experienced entomologist cannot follow out his 

 tables, for his diagnoses are vague and ill-defined, and his dichotomic 

 system defies the worker. Still he did actually establish good systems, 

 which Brunner is enabled to clear up, owing to the fortune of being 

 the possessor of the original types. 



In 1882 there appeared Brunner's " Prodromus der Europaischen 

 Orthopteren," written in German, with admirable dichotomic tables 

 and concise diagnoses and descriptions in entomological Latin, illus- 

 trated by eleven very good plates and a map to show the division of 

 Europe into regions according to the distribution of Orthoptera. We 

 are now quite in modern times, and many authors appear with mono- 

 graphs and faunistic lists, — Scudder, Bolivar, Krauss, Finot, Kirby, 

 Karsch, Giglio-Tos, A. Pictet, and Pantel. Numerous other workers 

 add monthly to the literature, and fresh monographs continue to 

 appear. 



It might be reasonably expected that the study of this order of 

 insects in England should follow the progress of the Continent. But 

 the reverse is the case. The earliest writers were naturally in a hope- 

 less muddle. Berkenhout, Donovan, and Stephens improved slightly 

 upon each other's work in order, but the latter entomologist was non- 

 plussed by the intricacies of the genus Stenobothrus. This genus has 

 always been the bane of British observers, who were always blind to 

 the fact that in Orthoptera colour should be disregarded as a specific 

 character. Curtis added but little improvement. His plates are 

 good, but it is difficult to identify his Locusta christii. It is most 

 probably Pachytylus danicus, L. (cinerascens, Fabr.), but the posterior 

 tibiae are coloured like those of P. migratorws. 



Thus things remained for many years, and British collectors knew 

 not how to identify their captures. Little or no notice was taken of 

 the great works of Fischer and Brunner, until so recently as 1889 

 Mr. Eland Shaw actually wheeled our British things into line with 

 those of the Continent, and since that time our knowledge has been 

 kept up to date. 



Orthoptera are represented in Great Britain in the " present state of 

 our ignorance " by forty species, excluding accidental exotic visitors 

 and reputed species, but including such foreigners as have bred and 

 apparently become rirmly established in our islands. 



So far as we can tell, we have five indigenous earwigs. Of these 

 three are common — Labia minor, Forficula auriadaria, and we are 

 now able to add, Forficula lesnei. Labidura riparia, Pall, has 



