374 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS | Xov., 'OQ 



The second species, Zetorchestes micronychus (Berl. & 

 Can.) is very remarkable in that the last pair of legs are 

 enlarged and fitted for jumping. This is the only known 

 oribatid which has that power, which is made possible by the 

 peculiar structure of the fourth pair of legs and the large and 

 powerful abdominal muscles. Already this species has been 

 recorded from Italy, Switzerland and Algeria ; the authors' 

 record making it known to three continents. I have but a 

 single specimen of this species sent me by Mr. Crosby but 

 it is well preserved and agrees excellently with Canestrini's 

 and with Michael's figures, and since so many parts of its struc- 

 ture are so characteristic I feel confident of the determina- 

 tion. 



The third species, Hcrmannia bis trial a (Nic.) appears to be 

 quite common in central Illinois and at Columbia, Mo., as 

 I have dozens of specimens from both these places. This 

 species has a general distribution in Europe. According to 

 Michael the imago is terrestrial, on moss, while the nymph is 

 amphibious on land moss or Sphagnum. I have found the 

 adults quite common under old logs, as well as in moss. 



The fourth species, Tegcocranus velatus Michael, has only 

 been found in England before now, where it lives in moss. 

 This is the situation in which the author has found it. 



Mr. A. D. Michael in 1898 ( Das Tierreich, Lief. 3., Oriba- 

 tidae), reviews the Oribatidae, giving a list of 198 known, 

 good species. Since that time fully one-half as many more 

 have been added making the total number of known Oribatidae 

 now near 300 species. Of the 198 species described by Mr. 

 Michael, 160 are known in Europe where the Oribatidae, 

 as well as the other Acarina, have been much better worked 

 up than in the rest of the world. Up to the present time the 

 writer has in his collection 93 species of Oribatidae, the 

 most of which have been collected in Illinois, Indiana and 

 Missouri. Judging from the great number of species met 

 with in this area I would infer that the total number of 

 North American species must be at least somewhere in the 

 neighborhood of 300. 



