xvn CLASSIFICATION 447 



almost equal length. The pedipalpi take no part in the fertilisa- 

 tion of the female, which is accomplished directly. 



The protrusible organs are concealed under the forwardly- 

 projecting anterior segment of the abdomen beneath, the genital 

 orifice being thus in many cases quite near the head -region. 

 The internal sexual organs are not very complex. The ovary 

 re-enters upon itself, forming a ring, and from the point of 

 re-entry a tube proceeds towards the centre of the ring, dilating 

 to form an ovisac. It then narrows, turns forward, dilates once 

 more into a second ovisac, from which the oviduct proceeds to 

 the base of the ovipositor. This is a flattened organ, grooved on 

 its upper surface and bifid at its extremity. The testis of the 

 male is a single sac-like gland, from either end of which proceeds 

 a vas deferens, which, after several convolutions, unite into a 

 sperrn-sac which opens at the base of the penis. 



Partial hermaphroditism is a very frequent phenomenon among 

 the Phalangids, the testis often producing ova as well as 

 spermatozoa. 



Though the males fight fiercely at the breeding time, the 

 animals for the most part live peacefully together. Henking l 

 found that the eggs of Liobunum, which were about half a 

 millimetre in diameter, were laid during October and hatched 

 out in the following April. 



Classification. The Order Phalangidea is divided into three 

 Sub-orders : 1, CYPHOPHTHALMI ; 2, MECOSTETHI ; 3, PLAGIOSTETHI. 



Sub-Order 1. Cyphophthalmi. 



Phalangids with dorsal and ventral scutum, only the last 

 abdominal segment remaining free. Eyes two or absent. 

 Maxillary lobe on coxae of first pair of legs rudimentary. 

 Sternum long and narrow. Anterior segment of abdomen not 

 projecting ventrally beyond the coxae of the fourth pair. 

 Odoriferous glands open on prominences. 



In 1875 Stecker published a description of a remarkable 

 creature which he said he had found in Bohemia, and which he 

 named Gibocellum sudeticum. Among other points it possessed 

 four eyes and four spinning mammillae, and it differed so much 

 from other Cyphophthalmi as to necessitate the foundation of a 



1 Zool. Jahrb. iii., 1888, p. 319. 



