Mr. Newport on ffa Cfass Myriapoda. Onkr CbUopodti ioi 



spines, arranged partly on the superior mr&ee. Inferior surface < v«\. wit), 



eight to ten spines irregularly distributed. An-nlar prooi I ubercnlifonn. wfefa 



from six to ei<rht minute- black spines. Distal au-le of the femoral joint of the ttfcVtS) 

 posterior pairs of le<rs \vitli from three to five ipiiintte. IV. anal nb elon-ate tfOM 

 margin rounded. Lateral anal appenda. nidi the process tnher- 



culiform, with five minute black spinet. 



This magnificent and truly gigantic species is quite distinct from all hitherto 

 described. It differs from S.gigas of Leach in the more cylindrical form <>l 

 the posterior pair of legs and the obconic femoral joints, and in the legs h 

 all of an uniform colour. 



The specimen in the Museum cabinet is believed to be from Jamaica. It 

 agrees more nearly than any known specie* with fig. 1. lab. 12. of" The U 

 Centipie," in Brown's ' History of Jamaica.' the description of which i 

 lopendra 2 : maxima, pedibus triginta sex" I have no doubt, however, t bat this 

 description, so far as relates to the number of legs, IS inaccurate, as on i . 

 ring to the figure I find that nineteen pairs <>i legs are delineated, while not 

 only are some of these incorrectly placed, but the subbasilar legs are entirely 

 omitted. Yet this is the species which Linnaeus describes, apparently from 

 Brown's figure and account of it, as Linnaeus himself has written the name 

 u Scolopendra gigantea" on the margin of the page of his own copy of Brown's 

 work, now in the possession of the Linnean Society. That Linnaeus described 

 his species from Brown's figure seems evident from the fact, that in the copy 

 of the * Systema Naturae,' dated 1760, Holmise, used by himself for reference, 

 and now in the Society's library, he refers to Brown's work, but say-., s. pe- 

 dihns utrinqite xvii. Habit, in America;" and adds, " seqnente mnlto major. §ed 

 simillima" Fabricius has exactly copied Linnaeus's description, so far as the 

 characters and locality of the species are concerned ; so that it is very probable 

 that neither of these two authorities even saw the species they have named. 

 It may be desirable in support of this opinion to compare Brown's obser- 

 vations with those of Linnaeus. He says, after his description : — " This 

 insect is sometimes found on the wharfs of Kingston, and commonly thought 

 to be brought there among the timbers and dye-woods imported from the 

 main. It is generally very large, and sometimes measures above ten h 

 in length." 



3 c 2 



