134 ORIGIN, ETC., OF THE FAUNA. 
Of the family Cryptopide the genus Cryptops is cosmopolitan, and its discovery in 
Central America has no particular significance. Zheatops, Otocryptops, and Scolopo- 
cryptops are more restricted in range. Theatops spreads from North America into 
Mexico, and has one species in the Mediterranean area. Both Otocryptops and 
Scolopocryptops are South, Central, and North American, Antillean, and Chinese, 
Otocryptops also extending in the Old World into the south-eastern portion of the 
Oriental Region (Philippines, Celebes, Java, New Guinea, etc.) *. 
The Newportiine are peculiar to the New World, being plentiful in South and 
Central America and the Antilles and represented by one species in North America. 
The two genera referred to the subfamily appear to be specialised forms of Crypto- 
pide; and, judging from their present distribution, they were probably evolved in 
tropical America. 
Two of the genera of Scolopendride demand particular attention—namely, Paroto- 
stigmus and Scolopendra. ‘The former is mainly tropical American, occurring in 
South and Central America and the Antilles, but a few allied forms inhabit tropical 
Africa. Of greater interest are the species to which in 1903 (Nat. Hist. Sokotra, 
p. 429) I restricted the term Scolopendrat. This genus, as here limited, ranges from 
the Southern States of North America, through Central America and the Antilles, into 
the northern parts of South America and the Galapagos Islands. Elsewhere it has 
only been recorded from the Canary Islands, the Kameruns, Arabia, Syria, Persia, 
Sokotra, and the adjoining island of Abd-el-Kuri. Its distribution, therefore, coincides 
very closely with that of the Diplocentrine Scorpions, and is suggestive of a direct 
land-connection across the tropical Atlantic between the Old and New Worlds. 
The Chilopod fauna of Central America shows marked affinities with that of North 
America, Asia, and Europe (Lithobius); with Eastern Asia (Otocryptops, Scolopo- 
cryptops) ; with tropical Africa (Parotostigmus) ; and with the Mediterranean area 
(Scolopendra, Theatops). But there are no data justifying any conclusion as to the 
original home of the genera in question, unless superiority in number of species be 
regarded as a criterion on that head. If this somewhat unsafe basis for an opinion 
be adopted, the inference is that all the genera, except the northern Lithodius, were 
evolved in tropical America, and subsequently entered the continents of the Old World 
where they are now found. 
* One species of Otocryptops, abundant in South and Central America and the Antilles, has also been 
recorded from West Africa, There is no proof, however, that the species was not transported, probably in 
connection with the slave trade, as 1 have suggested. 
t Nearly all the Central American species belong to this genus. The two aberrant forms, punctiventris and 
pygmed, should perhaps be regarded as representing distinct genera and need not be considered in the present 
connection. 
