122 Annul* of tlie Xouth Afrit-tin Museum. 



fingers are more than twice as long as the hand (in Chthonius 

 contract a* as 31 : 18). 



40. CHTHONIUS MOBDAX Tullgren. 



Cape Province. Cape Peninsula : Table Mountain, near Platteklip 

 ( \V. F. Purcell), 16 3 , 11 ? , 1 jun., and (R. M. Lightfoot), 2 3 , 6 ? ; 

 above Klaasenbosch (W. F. Purcell), 1 $ ; Table Mountain with no 

 nearer locality (E. M. Lightfoot), 2$; Signal Hill (W. F. Purcell), 

 1(5 3 , 13 ? ; Kalk Bay (E. M. Lightfoot), 4 $ , 3 ? ; Camp's Bay 

 ( \V. F. Purcell), 10 J , S ? ; Cape Peninsula, no nearer locality (E. M. 

 Lightfoot), 3 $ . 



The Eev. E. Godfrey's collections contained 12 $ , 11 ? , 3 jun. 

 Mr. Godfrey has collected this species in the following localities : 

 Cape Peninsula : Foot of Table Mountain, 4 $ . King William's Town 

 Div. : Pirie, " very abundant." 



" This species makes no nest for any purpose whatsoever as far as 

 I have seen. The female carries her larval mass about with her, 

 leading a free life. The usual number of larvaB is seven, though it 

 may be as low as four. I have found the female carrying her larval 

 mass in April, August, September, October, and December" (E. 

 Godfrey in litt.). 



NOTE. This species seems to be very abundant, and is likely to be 

 distributed throughout the whole of Cape Province ; it is particularly 

 very abundant in the Cape Peninsula. It is easily recognised, having 

 some very distinguishing characters. Among these are : The shape 

 of the palps, something similar to the palps of Chthonius tetrachelatus 

 Preyssler, having the upper side of the hand distally depressed (or 

 rather curved), but not so much and not so abruptly as is the case 

 in the latter species ; no confounding is, therefore, possible. Tullgren 

 gives us a good figure of the palps. Further may be added : The 

 projection at the base of the movable finger, although this projection 

 may be of different size and, therefore, sometimes rather little pro- 

 minent; and finally, the undulating lamella of the movable finger, 

 very characteristic ; but this lamella in younger specimens and in 

 such as have recently cast their skin, is often rather little developed, 

 and then the margin of the finger is nearly entire ; the few, generally 

 4, teeth near the tip are, on the contrary, always present. 



The length of the fingers in proportion to the hand may vary ; 

 generally they are a little longer than the hand, but are often of 

 about the same length. 



The articulation between the two parts of femur of the two 

 posterior pairs of legs, especially of the last pair, is well developed. 



