ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 323 



Habits of Galeodes and Buthus.* — Dr. Einar Lonnberg has kept 

 specimens of Galeodes in confinement, with a view of determining the 

 disputed question as to the presence or absence of poison-glands. Tbe 

 animals ate flies readily, but these were crushed by the powerful jaws, 

 and there seemed no evidence that the victims were poisoned. Some 

 interesting observations were made on specimens of Galeodes araneoides 

 and the scorpion Buthus rufens kept together in a confined space. On 

 one occasion the Galeodes succeeded in cutting the poison-gland of the 

 scorpion, and was then able to overcome it by the strength of its jaws, 

 but the scorpion showed no symptoms of poisoning. On another occasion 

 the scorpion was successful in stinging the Galeodes on the ventral 

 surface of the thorax. The sting produced instantaneous paralysis, but 

 this passed off, and the Galeodes subsequently recovered. The jaws of 

 Galeodes are not strong enough to pierce the human skin, and the bite 

 produces no poisonous effect, in spite of the prevalent opinion to the con- 

 trary. As winter approaches, the animals bury themselves in the sand, 

 using in the process both the two anterior pairs of legs and the jaws, 

 which again speaks against the view that the latter contain poison-glands. 

 Observations on the scorpions further showed that these do not use their 

 stings in their combats with one another, and that there is no evidence 

 that they commit suicide if threatened by fire. When digging in the 

 sand Buthus uses the three anterior pairs of legs instead of only two pairs 

 like Galeodes. 



Geographical Distribution of Opilionidse.f — Dr. J. C. C. Loman has 

 investigated the distribution of this small and compact order, with a view 

 to finding what light the distribution throws upon the relations of the 

 members of the order. He finds that the order is constituted of three 

 sub-orders, Insidiatores. Laniatores, and Palpatores. Of these, the first 

 two are much older than the third, but their relative age cannot yet be 

 determined. The Insidiatores occur in the most southerly parts of the 

 globe, in Chili, South Africa, and South Australia, where they must 

 probably be regarded as the remnants of a formerly much richer fauna. 

 The Laniatores also occur in these southern regions, but in addition are 

 to be found in the tropics, and extend to the sub-tropical zone of the 

 northern hemisphere. Finally, the Palpatores are to be found (1) in 

 the extreme south ; (2) in the tropics, where they are confined to the 

 higher mountains ; and (3) they constitute the entire Opilionid fauna of 

 the sub-tropical and temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. As the 

 North Pole is approached their numbers rapidly diminish. The occur- 

 rence of the Palpatores in the mountains of the tropics is to be correlated 

 with the remnants of a glacial flora and fauna to be found there. 



Hydrachnids from the Azores.} — F. Koanike notes that the Azores 

 are singularly poor in this group. In 1887 Prof. Barrois described two 

 forms from the islands as Arrenurus chavesi Barr., and Sperchon glandu- 

 losus Koen. Subsequently he found that the former, which had been 

 based on a female specimen only, was A. emarginator O.P.M. Koanike 

 found that the second form was S. brevirodris Koen., and collections made 



* Ofversigt K. Vetens.-Akad. Forhandl., lvi. (1809) pp. 977- S3, 

 t Zool. Jahrb., xiii. (1900) pp. 71-104 (1 pi. and 4 maps). 

 X Bull. Soc. Zool. France, xxiv. (1899) pp. 204-7 (3 figs.;. 



z 2 



