OtlTHOPTERA. 209 



the large congregations of butterflies that then collect will, given fine 

 calm weather, stay long (in swarms) in one place, and the evidence is 

 altogether insufficient to show that these go south-west rather than in 

 all (or any) directions apart from weather conditions. Ellzey 

 (supra) states that the swarm he observed at West River, Mary- 

 land, on September 23rd, 1886, was "flying due south-west in the 

 face of a stiff breeze," and Netil {sujjya) that the movements 

 observed in October, 1892, in Texas were to the south, whilst one of 

 Riley's swarms, in April,"' at Manhattan, Kansas, came rapidly "with 

 a strong Avind from the north-west." Moffat (Can. Ent., xii., p. 

 37) notes the constitirent elements of the swarms as dispersing by 

 day, and coming up to the roosting-place from different directions 

 towards night, which suggests that in favourable weather they remain 

 in a fixed locality. 



* Surely at this time of the year the flight should have been going to the 

 north-west, not coming " from " the north-west. 



®RTHOFTEKA. 

 The distribution of Orthoptera found in Great Britain, 



By MALCOLM BUER, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



The few following notes on the European distribution of the 

 Orthoptera of our fauna may be of interest to the student of this order. 

 When the relations of our few species to each other, and Avhen their 

 foreign distribution are considered, the list of our species has much 

 greater signifi.caucc and interest, 



Forficula auricnlaria, L, — The common earwig is as abundant 

 throughout Europe as it is in England. The Y&Y.forcipata, Ste^hs., 

 does not appear to be at all rare. The species occurs also in Asia 

 Minor, and in northern x'Vfrica, and in Madeira. It has been imported 

 into North America, and does not appear to be a great rarity in the 

 eastern States. Several other species uniting auriculana with the 

 following are found in southern Europe. 



Forficula Icsncl. Fin. — Finot first described this species in 1888, 

 when it was considered a great rarity. It was supposed for some 

 time to be confined to northern and central France, but recent collecting 

 has shown that it is common in the northern part of that country, 

 and is local but vridely distributed in England, especially in the 

 southern counties. IJe Selys does not include it in the list of Belgian 

 species, and M. Lameere has informed me that it is unknown to him. 

 It has been found also at Madrid and in Galicia. 



Apterygida albipennis, Meg., is a characteristic central European 

 form. I have taken it in numbers in the forest of Fontainebleau, and 

 it is common in SAvitzerland, xlustria, and central Europe generally. 

 Its most northern points of distribution are Norfolk and Ashford, and 

 its most southern is Granada. It is found also in the Riviera, and in 

 Greece at Athens and Corfu. 



Aptenjiilda araclddk, Yers., is a cosmopolitan species, and even its 

 original home is miknown. With us it only exists under artificial 

 conditions. 



Lahidura riparia, Pall. — This is another cosmopolitan form, but is 

 worthy of consideration as it is very likely indigenous in this country. 



