G. E. CARPENTER. 



by the collection already in hand ; but I think it unlikely that any specimens more 

 satisfactory than those here described and figured will be found in it. 



This is the second species of Collembola known from the Antarctic Continent 

 of South Victoria Land. The first, described five years ago (Carpenter, 1902) was 

 brought home by the ' Southern Cross ' Expedition from Geikie Land, on the shores of 

 Robertson Bay near Cape Adare, some 380 miles north of Granite Harbour. That 

 species was an Isotoma, a member of the family Entomobryidae. The present insect 

 belongs to the family Poduridae, so that the two largest families of Collembola are both 

 represented on the Antarctic Continent. A summary of the distribution of the known 

 species of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Collembola will be found in Wahlgren's recent 

 paper (1906) on the insects of this order collected by the Swedish Expedition. To the 

 species that he enumerates have now to be added the insect here described and the two 

 new species brought from the South Orkney Islands by the ' Scotia ' Expedition 

 (Carpenter, 1906). The last-named paper contains arguments, from the distribution of 

 Antarctic springtails, in favour of a former wide extension of the Antarctic Continent. 

 The present species, having no near allies, does not throw any additional light on such 

 geographical problems. 



COLLEMBOLA. 



FAMILY PODURIDAE. 

 GOMPHIO.CEPHALUS, gen. nov.* 



Cuticle very finely granulate. Abdomen with two anal spines. Spring and 

 catch vestigial. Empodium of foot without appendix (" inferior claw "). Feeler 

 four-segmented ; sensory setae on the third segment ; a sub-apical, depressed sense- 

 organ, and a protrusible apical sense-organ on the fourth. On each side of head a 

 simple post-antennal organ surrounded by a single ovate or cordiform rim ; and a stout 

 sensory tooth-like spine behind the post-autenual organ. Mandible with molar 

 surface close to base. Maxillula with apical teeth and a feeble but distinct molar 

 area. 



This genus will probably require a new sub-family (Gomphiocephalinae) to express 

 its peculiar affinities. On the whole it comes nearest to the Hypogastrurinae in the 

 recent classification of Borner (1906). But the dentiform sense-organ on the head, the 

 shortened mandibles, and the mandibuliform maxillulae appear to be absolutely 

 distinctive characters ; while the feeble granulation of the cuticle, and especially the 

 simple post-anteunal organ, show an approach to the Anurophorini, a tribe of the 

 Isotominae which belong to the Eutomobryidae. Indeed the genus Gomphiocephalus 



* From yofifjjios, a back-tooth, and KetjtaX!]. I have to thank the Editor, Prof. F. .1. Bell, for kindly proposing 

 this name to replace my suggestion Odontocephalus, which is pre-occupied. The allusion is to the peculiar 

 dentiform sense-organ on the head (tig. 1,/J. 



