— 167 — 
of the most geueralized characters among other insects (structure 
of mouth-parts, internal anatomy, campodeo-id habitus of ail 
instars, very sliglit specialization of thoracic segments, almost 
total absence of metamorphosis, data of geographical distribution) ; 
possibly they are the most primitive and ancient insect-forms 
except Apterygogenea (pp. 164 and 165). 
According to ail thèse considérations I have proposed some 
time ago to elevate the family Embiidae of authors to a suborder 
Embiodea Kusnezov 1903 (44, p. 208; 45, p. 220). Neverthe- 
less it must be remembered that such characters as localization 
of spinning glands in the foretarsi may be considérée! only as a 
resuit of secondary progressive specialization, and the ill-deve- 
loped venation of wings as a pronounced regressive phenomenon 
(p. 165). Embia taurica as well as ail the other représentatives 
of the suborder are typical heliophobes, spinning their galleries 
under stones, among dead leaves, etc., and evidently are extre- 
mely sensitive to the température and humidity. They are distri- 
buted almost exclusively on the Southern Coast of the Crimean 
peninsula and are found in the wärmest localities of this country, 
i. e. on the coast-region with highly pronounced mediterranean 
characters. (For detailed enumeration of localities see pp. 159 
and 1 6 1 of the Russian text). 
In the year 1903 the spécimens of E. taurica were met with 
in so great and unexpected abundance that it seems not impro- 
bable they have, with their vegetarian habits, a certain impor- 
tance in the life of the herbaceous végétation of the Southern 
Coast, and are active agents also in destroying dead leaves of 
some trees (Quercus pubescens) (p. 148). On the surface of the 
earth they are observed only when atmospheric conditions of 
température and humidity are favorable to them; thus in the dry 
seasons they conceal themselves and corne in the cracks of the 
earth very deeply. In gênerai the habits of E. tawrica are extre- 
mely similar to those of ЕтЫае described by Grassi (30, 31) 
and Melander (40, 41). 
