1881.] Scolopendrella and its Position in Nature. 703 
inno known arthropod is this the case. Although we have not 
been able to find the opening, it should be looked for between the 
second and third segments from the anus. 
The view of Menge and of Ryder that “these singular animals 
should be separated from the myriopods proper,” will, it seems 
to us, be concurred in by any one who may carefully examine 
into the matter. 
Now arises the question as to the real position of the Scolopen- 
drella. Mr. Ryder gives the following results of his able-investi- 
gations: 
“This form as interpreted above, becomes of the highest 
interest to the zoologist, and if the writer is not mistaken, the 
biunguiculate legs and their nearly complete correspondence in 
number with the rudimentary abdominal and functional thoracic 
limbs of the Thysanura, especially Machilis and Lepisma, which 
also have basal appendages to the legs, indicate as much affinity 
with insects as with myriopods, and may indeed be looked upon, 
perhaps, as representing the last survival of the form from which 
insects may he supposed to have descended. I name the new 
group Symphyla, in reference to the singular combination of 
myriopodous, insectean and Thysanurous characters which it 
presents.” He regards the Symphyla as an order with one 
family, the Scolopendrellide of Newport. We had been ready to 
adopt this order, though we felt uncertain as to its position; but on 
a re-examination of the structure of S. zmmaculata, and from the 
information afforded by Menge and Ryder, have been led to 
question whether the Symphyla should be regarded as an inde- 
pendent order of Tracheata, and if so, whether they should be 
included with the Thysanura among the genuine insects or not. 
We see no reason why the Thysanura should not be regarded as 
an order standing at the bottom of the hexapodous series, and 
constituting an eighth order of Hexapoda. We regard the Co/- 
lembola of Lubbock as a suborder of Thysanura; we have in the 
Seventh edition of our “Guide to the study of Insects,” 1880, 
thrown the Lepismatidz, Campodez and Japygide into a new 
Suborder called CGizura. Now the question arises, have the Sym- 
Piyla characters sufficiently distinctive to keep them apart as a 
Separate order, next to and below the Thysanura as a whole, or 
Should they be regarded as a third suborder of Thysanura equir 
alent to the Collembola on the one hand, and to the Czmura on 
the other? We are inclined to the latter view. 
