1894.] 53 



I will now go more than thirty years back. In the " Zoologist " 

 for 1863, p. 8496, Ed. Newman gave a small-type note on a " New 

 Insect at the Friends' Institute," Bishopsgate Street, London. It 

 refers to a Lepismid and its habits (but heat-loving is not specially 

 noticed). All the description is : — "Its body is half an inch long, and 

 it has antennas and tails each about half an inch long or rather more, 

 so that the entire length is rather more than an inch and a half." 

 He proposed for it the name Lepismodes inquilina, showing that he 

 recognised it as generically distinct from Lepisma saccharina. If any 

 " types" still exist they are probably in the collection of the Entomo- 

 logical Club. I distinctly remember seeing the creature ; but the 

 name is not indexed in the Vol., and the note has been entirely 

 overlooked so far as I am aware. 



To turn to North America, In 1873 Dr. Packard published, in 

 the 5th Annual Eeport of the Peabody Academy, a synopsis of the 

 Thysanura of Essex Co., Mass., amongst which is a Lepisma domestica, 

 n. sp., " common in houses about hearths and fireplaces," and which 

 has six-jointed maxillary palpi. There is much in the descriptions to 

 induce one to believe that his and Eovelli's insects are the same. And, 

 in fact, Dr. Bergroth has considered them identical, and has re-named 

 the genus Thermohia, in consequence of Thermophila being pre- 

 occupied (Entomol. Americ, vi, p. 233, 1890). Eor the moment I 

 prefer to call our insect Thermohia furnorum, Eovelli, substituting 

 Packard's specific name if the identity be absolutely proved. New- 

 man's much earlier Lepismodes inquilina I leave an open question, 

 after having called attention to it. Furthermore, it must be remarked, 

 that several old species of ^^ Lepisma, ^^ principally by French authors, 

 probably remain undetermined. 



I give no description of Th. furnorum, because I have seen no ex- 

 amples really in good condition, but refer my readers to Dr. Oudemans' 

 figure. Its mottled appearance and somewhat different form will at 

 once separate it from Lepisma saccharina, independent of the structural 

 characters : the antennae and tails are extremely fragile, and the scales 

 on the body that cause the mottling a.re very easily detached. It 

 appears to revel in an amount of heat fatal to most other Arthropods, 

 and I express an opinion that it will be found wide spread in this 

 country. 



The foregoing notes are necessarily somewhat laconic, and have 

 been called forth by Mr. Milton's appeal for identification. 



Lewisham, London : 



February, 1894. 



