344 MR - R - S. BAGNALLS REPORT OF 



REPORT ON THE FIELD MEETINGS OF THE NATURAL 

 HISTORY SOCIETY FOR 1911. 



Read 25TH March, 19 12, by Mr. Richard S. Bagnall, 



F.E.S., F.L.S., Chairman of the Field Meetings 



Committee in 191 i. 



When the Committee honoured me by appointing me Field 

 President for the year, I naturally felt some diffidence in 

 accepting the position — a position that so many of our 

 members could have occupied with greater weight and in- 

 fluence. In my acceptance, however, I was actuated by two 

 important factors, firstly my strong desire to influence others 

 to follow the more obscure paths of invertebrate zoology, and 

 secondly the fact that I should so shortly be leaving the 

 district. 



It has been my object throughout the year to work at one 

 small group of Arthropods of which little was known as re- 

 gards the local fauna, and for this main subject I chose — 

 happily, I think — the Myriapods, known to us all as Centipedes 

 and Millipedes. Only one or two local species had been 

 recorded, but largely through the instrumentality of these 

 Field Meetings I have just completed a preliminary account 

 of the Northumberland and Durham Myriapods, comprising 

 no less than 58* distinct forms, of which 23 local examples 

 represent the first British records. This number of additions 

 has been largely arrived at by a special study of the two 

 neglected orders Pauropoda and Symphyla; in the first order 

 two British forms were known, now we know six, including a 

 new species, Brachypmiroptts htbbocki, Bagnall, the first British 

 representative of the family Brachypauropodida? ; and in the 

 second order, Symphyla, of which but one British species was 

 until recently known, we now recognise locally 12 forms, 

 including the following new ones : Scutigerella spinipes, Bagn., 

 6". biscutata, Bagn., S. hanseni, Bagn., Scolopendrella dunelmensis 

 Bagn., S. horrida, Bagn., 6". delicahila, Bagn., and S. mimiiissima, 



Bagn. 



* This has now been increased. 



