THE MYRIAPODA OF NORTH AMERICA. Kil 



S. MORSITANS. 



S. flavescens; scutis plerumque postioe viridi marginatis; segtnento cephalico postice subtruncato, basali 

 mag-no ; antennis 20 articulatis; laminis dentalibus, margine antico leviter rotundato ; dentibus 8 — 10, brevibus, 

 obtusis ; pedibus compressis; pedibus postremis brevibus, robustis, supra complanatis, subtus valde convexis ; 

 articulis basali et tibiali uiarginibus superioribus elevatis et fere rectangulis ; artieulo basali intus 5 spinis, subtus 

 spinis 7 — 9 triseriatis alternantibus ; processu angulari valde elongate, spinis 3 — 5; appendicibus analibus laterali- 

 bus dense punctatis, apice breve, spinis 3 — 4; squama preanali longitudine latiore. 



Yellowish; scuta generally margined with green; cephalic segment posteriorly subtruncate, basal large; an- 

 tennas 20 articulate ; dental laminae, with their anterior margin slightly rounded ; teeth 8 — 10, short, obtuse ; feet 

 compressed, last pair short, robust, above complanate, below very convex; basal and tibial joints with their supe- 

 rior margins elevate and almost rectangular; basal joint within 5 spines, below 7 — 9 spines in three alternating 

 series; angular process very much elongated, spines 3 — 5; lateral anal appendages densely punctate, their apex 

 short, with 3 — 4 spines ; preanal scale broader than long. 



Scol. morsitans, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, p. 1063. 

 " " New2>-, Linn. Trans, xix, p. 378. 



" " Wood, Journ. A. N. S., 1863, p. 23. 



Scol. marginata, &y, in Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 1821, p. 9 ; et in CEuvr. Entom. Ed. Gory. livr. 

 i, p. 22. 



Scol. Brandtiana, Gervais, in Ann. Sc. Nat., Janv. 1837, p. 50 ; et Apt. iv, p. 280. 

 Scol. platypus, Brandt, Recueil, p. 61. 



" " Newport, in Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist, xiii, p. 98. 



S. otomita, Saussure, Mem. Soc. Phys. de Genev., 1860, xv, p. 383, f. 42. 



" This species closely resembles S. cingulata in its general appearance. The spinules on 

 the inferior surface of the posterior legs are arranged in three series which alternate with 

 one another, so that, as remarked by Mr. Brandt, who first correctly described this species, 

 they form with each other a succession of triangles. The preanal scale is very short, 

 somewhat quadrate, with the posterior margin very slightly rounded. The lateral appen- 

 dages also are short, with a slightly produced bifid apex." 



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

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

 geographical range, as given by Mr. Newport, extends over those portions of South, Cen- 

 tral, and North America which lie in or near the tropics, as well as over the whole of the 

 West Indies and an unknown extent of China. Verily, it must be the cosmopolite of the 

 Scolopendridse. I have seen an individual from Japan which I believe to be the var. ,5 of 

 Newport. It very closely resembles the North American specimens, but a suite may show 

 that it is distinct. I have quite a number of Scolopendrse from Georgia and East Florida, 

 but there is not a specimen of S. morsitans amongst them. I suspect that S. marginata 

 and S. mridis of Say are identical species, and that S. morsitans is not an inhabitant of the 

 vol. xiii. — 21 



