i9o8. 135 



ARMADILLIDIUM PICTUM, BRANDT. 



An Addition to the Britannic Fauna. 



BY NEVIN H. FOSTER, M.P.O.U. 

 [Pirate 6.] 



On 28ih March I collected some woodlice in a greenhouse 

 here,^ and among them found one specimen of Armadillidium, 

 which, on submitting to Dr. Scharff, he pronounced to be A. 

 picttcm, Brandt, a species which had not hitherto been recorded 

 from the British Islands. Since the above date I have taken 

 several more of this species, all the specimens having been 

 found among the "drainage crocks" of pots in which plants 

 of various kinds were growing. As this species is new to the 

 Britannic fauna, I have made a drawing from one of the speci- 

 mens, which shows the main specific characters. (Plate 6.) 



The genus Armadillidium comprises some thirt}- species, of 

 which six can now be included as Britannic, viz., A. vulgare — 

 found in England, Scotland, and Ireland; A. na sahcm diwdi A. 

 depressum — recorded from several stations in the south of 

 England; A. album — recently found in Devonshire; A. pul~ 

 chclhivi — discovered in Sligo by Dr. Scharff and by Mr, D. R. 

 Pack-Beresford in Carlo w,'^ and since found in England ; and 

 A.pichifu, now recorded, but which was found a few days later 

 in the Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin, Dublin, by Mr. J. N. 

 Halbert. 



This species appears to have rather a northern distribution, 

 having been recorded from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, 

 Belgium, and France. Eike all the species in this genus, it 

 pOvSsesses the power of rolling itself up into a perfect ball, 

 though, so far as my experience goes, it accomplishes this in 

 a much more leisurely fashion than does A. vulgare. The 

 dorsal surface is very convex, smooth, and shiny, and is 



^ Not Holy wood, vide p. 124, ajiie. 



"Irish Naturalist, vol. x., p. 109, vol. xvi , p. 250. 



