224 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



upon as a connecting link between Japyx and Campodea cannot 

 be decided until its internal anatomy has been studied, the internal 

 differences between Japyx and Campodea being much greater 

 than the external. 



Supposing that the stylets of the forms under discussion are in 

 reality legs, Japyx must have been preceded in evolution by some 

 such type as the present. The analogy of the anal legs of Chi- 

 lopoda gives support to this view, and the presence of a possible 

 claw on the stylet of Projapyx enforces its claim to distinction as 

 the most primitive insect. The functions of the stylets of these 

 and many other hexapoda, such as the Thysanura and Embiidas, 

 are, no doubt, at least two. They support the abdomen, and are 

 tactile organs, giving warning of danger from the rear. The 

 multiplication of joints beyond that of normal legs is paralleled in 

 the Chilopoda in the genus Newportia, which is indubitably a 

 near relative of forms having anal legs with well developed claws 

 and a normal number of joints. 



NEW SPECIES OF JAPYX. 



About twenty supposed species of Japyx have been named, of 

 which very few are identifiable from the descriptions, these being 

 rendered useless partly from a lack of sufficient attention to details, 

 but chiefly because the number of specimens available for study 

 has, in most cases, been so small that the formulation of any 

 criteria of specific diagnosis and variability was not possible. 

 Indeed, a far larger amount of material than is known to be avail 

 able in the museums of the world would probably be necessary 

 as a basis for a satisfactory classification of this neglected group. 

 A preliminary examination of over a hundred specimens, nearly 

 all of my own collecting, seems to indicate that there are geograph 

 ical races or species distinguishable by the form and armature of 

 the forceps, the demonstrated utility of other characters -being 

 very slight. The form and relative proportions of the forceps 

 differ but slightly throughout the group. In all cases there is a 

 distinct asvmmetery, the two arms of the forceps never being exact 

 counterparts, although the inequality is much more pronounced 

 in some species than in others. Both arms are normally beset 

 along their mesial edges by a row of denticules, with one con 

 spicuous tooth located at or below the middle. Distad from these 

 large teeth the denticules are nearly always arranged in a single 

 row along the edge, while below the large tooth there seem to be 

 normally two rows of usually rounded and flattened tubercles 

 separated by distinct spaces. Accordingly, for convenience in 

 description, the large process may be called simply the " tooth," 

 those distad from it the " denticules," those proximad the ''tuber 

 cles," while these last are "superior" or "inferior," according 

 to position. The size, number, and arrangement of these basal 



