ARTICLE XIII 



REPORT ON MYRIAPODS 

 By F. Silvestri (Portici) 



(Received February 12, 1935) 



The collection of Myriapods made by Mr. G. E. Hutchinson as biologist of the Yale 

 North India Expedition contains specimens of 3 species of Chilognatha, 2 of S\'inpli\la and 

 8 species and varieties of Chilopoda, of which last 6 are described as new. 



Having before us the results of both this expedition and those of the "Niederlandischen 

 Expedition in den Karakorum" we might deduce that the Chilognatha are almost absent 

 from high altitudes, only a single species of Polydesniidae {Kashmiriosoma contortipes 

 Schub.) having been collected at an altitude of about 3200 ni. ; but it is necessary to search 

 more, in very special ground, before definitely drawing such a conclusion. 



Figure 1. Kashmiriosoma contortipes, specimens of the Y. N. I. E. : 1, copulatory leg seen from the internal 

 side; 2, the second joint of the same without the apical large and contorted branch, which is represented isolated 

 in two positions in 3. and 4.; 5, anterior view of inferior part of -Ith segment of the male: A, first joint of the 

 fourth pair of legs ; Ci, lower lateral carinae ; Pe, external median process of the external branch of the 

 copulatory legs ; Pi, internal median process of the copulatory legs ; Pr, sternal processes between the 4th pair 

 of legs; Ps, internal branch (pseuduflagellum), St, sternum. 



Both the above-named expeditions collected a number of Chilopods of the family Litho- 

 biidae, which family appears to attain higher altitudes than any of the other Myriopods. 

 This can l)e understood when we bear in mind the predacious habits of the Lithobiidae, 

 which prey on other Arthropods, while the Chilognatha need decomposing vegetable matter, 

 and a quite high humidity. wSpeciinens of Lithobiidae were collected up to altitudes of 

 alxmt 5100 m.i 



' The highest locah'ty from which Myriopods were obtained was L Z2, on the eastern slope of the Shakya-la, 

 at about 5250 m. Immature and so indeterminable specimens of Lithohius here occurred among tufts of sparse 

 grass and withered herbaceous vegetation. 



Mem. Conn. Acad., Vol. X, Art. XIII, June, 1936. 



