60 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



eoUection, is most remarkable. It appears that the wingless insects of these 

 islands are indeed evidence of former land-connexions, pointing, like the 

 granite rocks, to ancient continental conditions. For if Apterygota be 

 conveyed to any extent by " accidental " means of dispersal, how can the 

 total absence of terrestrial CoUembola from the coral islets be explained ? 



Comparison, from the distributional standpoint, of the Seychelles 

 Apterygota with those of other countries is rendered difficult by the 

 incompleteness of our knowledge of these insects in all tropical regions. 

 Especially with regard to Madagascar — witli \vhicli comparison would lie of 

 great interest — are the records disappointingly few ; onlj- three species of 

 CoUembola from the great island are included in Borner's recent paper ('07), 

 while in Escherich's account ('10) of the Lepismidae only five Malagasy 

 species are mentioned. In the lists below, in which the Seychelles 

 Apterygota are grouped according to their known geographical affinities, 

 actual specific identity is indicated by an asterisk. 



Gexera peculi.\e to the Seychelles. 



Cm'ethromachUis (its sub-familj' group, ^laehilinae, being widespread) 



o spp. 

 Microimrondhi (tlie most primitive genus of a tribe — Parouellini — with 



circuni tropical x'ange) 2 spp. 



Species of widely uaxgixg Gexera without evident Geoguaphical 



Affinities (7). 

 liiiihpisma hisetom. Isntomurv^ ohscHrva. 



*Acrotelsa coUaris. JUntomobrya seychcUarum. 



Iiipyx silrestris. LcpUldcyrUis annulie.ornis. 



L. strarmiiuus. 



Species with Alues ix Madagascar (2). 

 Acroidm Scotti. *Axelsonia thalasso2Jliila 



(also Japan;. 



Species with Allies ix Afp.ica (o). 

 ^'Acrolelsa iiaiui. CypJioderus iiisvlaruvi. 



^Cterwlepisma lonyicaudata. 



Species with Allies in Afkica axd Ixiua (.5). 

 Lepisma intermedia. Lepidocy rl as Fryeri. 



Lepidospora Brax'.eri. L. impierialis. 



L. Gurdineri. 



