92 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Specific characters. Large and broad, red. Plates 9 2 pairs, 

 2 median, v. and vi. fused ; pattern of large hexagonal marks, 

 which do not appear to stand above the general sarface, and 

 enclose each an obscure round dot. Lateral processes 5 a, a 

 short seta, b, c, and d very long setse, e, a spicule, over b, c, 

 and d sublateral spicules. Dorsal processes over c a very 

 long seta, over d a large curved process with very broad base, 

 tapering to a fine hair. Fringe of few large triangular 

 processes, separated at their bases. Inner claws with barbs 

 far from their bases. Blunt palp at base of 4th leg. 



Length up to 300^, exclusive of the 4th legs, breadth iSo/z, 

 seta a 50^, b and c about 200^, d up to 250^; seta over r 

 175/4, over d 125^; claws 32/4. Eggs up to 5 in the skin, 

 about go/* by 7o/x. 



Originally described in 1907 (9) as a variety of E. spits- 

 bergensis, Scourfield (18), I am now satisfied that the differences 

 are too great to allow the two forms to be united. They differ 

 in the following points : the longer lateral setae of E. spiint- 

 loides ; the longer dorsal seta over c and the replacing of the 

 triangular process over d by a long seta ; the sublateral spicules 

 at b, c; and e ; the separated spines of the fringe, and the 

 higher position of the barb on the inner claw. E. spitsbergensis 

 has only one sublateral spicule, over d ; the spines of the fringe 

 are close together at their bases ; the barb is nearer the base 

 of the claw. 



The sublatere, spicules at b, c, and d are readily overlooked, 

 but that at e is, from its position, more conspicuous, and I 

 consider this one of the more important characters of E. 

 spinitloides. 



Very few species have these spicules. E. oilionnce alone 

 has them at b, c, d, and e, along with the longer lateral processes. 

 E. spinulosus, Doy (1), has only spicules. E. pulcher, Murray 

 (10), has them at />, c, and d, and E. novaezeelandice sometimes 

 has them in the same positions. E. tympanista, described in 

 this paper, has the spicules over b, c, d, and e. 



Habitat. Scotland, Loch Earn, etc. ; Franz Josef Land ; 

 Novaya Zemlya. 



Echiniscits tympanista, sp.n. (Plate I., Fig. 4.) 



Specific characters. Size moderate, colour red. Plates 9 



2 pairs, 2 median, v. and vi. fused, vi. trefoliate. Lateral 



processes 5 a, a normal seta, />, c, d, and e, subequal thick 

 processes ending in knobs, sublateral spicules over b, c, d, and e. 

 Dorsal processes over c and d short spines. Dots small, uni- 

 form, and closely set, of two kinds, the majority pellucid, a 

 few regularly scattered, dark, and looking like perforations. 

 Fringe on 4th legs, and barbs on inner claws. 



