uN THE CIIILOrODA OF NORTH AMERICA. 



23 



Florida. 



Florida. 



( tardea Key, Tortngas. 



Pensacola. 



Palatka, Bast Florida. 



belonging to the. Smithsonian Institution. 



(! . Wurdemau.* 

 (!. Wurdeman, 

 Di I' l>. Whitehouse 

 l>r Mammoud, U.S.A. 



1'. 1 1 lover. 



S. MORSITANS, Linn. — S. flavesoens, seutis plerumqae poatice viridi marginatis; segmento cepbalico postice 

 subtruneato, basali magno ; antennis '20 articulatia ; laminis dentalibus, margine antico leviter rotundato ; 

 dentibus 8 — 10 brevibus, obtusis; pedibus compressis; pedibus postremis brevibus, robustis, supra 

 cntnplanatia, subtus valde oonvexis; articulia basali et tibiali marginibus superioribua clevatia et fere 

 mgulia ; artieulo basali intus r> spiois, Btibtus spinis 7—0 triseriatia alternantibua, proceasu angulari 

 ▼aide elongato, spiuis '.) — 5 ; appendicibus analibns lateralibus, dense punctatis, apice breve, spinia 3 — -1 ; 

 Bquama preanali Ipngitudino latiori. 

 •■ S ol. morsitans, Linn.. Syst Nat. i p. I 1 "'' 1 ! ; Newp. Linn. Tr;.n-. xix. p. 378. 



marginata, Say, in Journ. Acad. N tl Si i. Philad. L821, p. 9; et in CEuvr. Entom. Ed. Gory livr. 

 i. p. 22. 



lis, in Ann. So. Nat. Janv 1837, p 50 ; et Apt. iv. p. 280. 

 Scot, platypus, Brandt, Recucil, p. 61 ; Newp. in Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist, xiii. p. 98 

 S 'omita, Saussure, Mem S >o. Phys. de Gcoev, I860, xv. p. 383, t'. 4_\ 



•• This species closely resembles S. cingulata in its general appearance. The spinulae 

 on the inferior surface of the posterior legs are arranged in three series which alter- 

 nate with one another, so that, as remarked by Mr. Brandt, who first correctly 

 sribed this species, they form with each other a succession of triangles. The pre- 

 anal scale is very short, somewhal quadrate, with the posterior margin very slightly 

 rounded. The lateral appendages also are short, with a slightly produced apex bifid." 



Notwithstanding the labor devoted by different naturalists to this species, we think 

 it possible that it will be hereafter found that its historj as now accepted is incorrect. 

 The geographical range, as given by Mr. Newport, extends over those portions of 

 South. Central and North America which lie in or near the tropics, as well as over 

 the whole of the West Indies and an unknown extenl of China. Verily, it must be 

 the cosmopolite of the Scolopeudrida'. We have an individual from Japan which we 

 believe to be the var. i of Newport. It very closely resembles the North American 

 cimens, but a suite may show that it is distinct. We have quite a number of Sco- 

 lopendrse from Georgia and East Florida, but there is not a specimen of S. morsitans 

 amongst them. We suspect that S. marginata and S. viridis of Say are identical 

 species, and that S. morsitans is not an inhabitant of the United States. Say's descrip- 

 tions are absolutely no guides to the species intended. P. Gcrvais adopts Say's species 

 as good, and gives the following synonymy. (See Apteres, t. iv. p. 276 ; et Tabl. des 

 Myriap. Americ. (Exp. Amer. Sud, sept, part.) p. 30.) 



" 5. marginata, Say, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci., t. ii. p. 100, &c. 



S. morsitans, partem, Newp., Trans. Linn. Soc. London, t. xix. p. 370." 



* Where it is not stated differently, the donor is believed to be the collector. 



