Some South African Tardigrada. By J. Murray. 517 



follows: i. = the head; ii. = the shoulder; iii.= the first pair; 

 iv. = the second pair ; v. and vi. together = the lumbar plate. The 

 five commonest lateral processes are distinguished by the letters 

 a, h, c, d, e, consecutively from the head backwards. Any one of 

 these, except a, may be absent, but the process in the correspond- 

 ing position is always referred to by the same letter : a comes 

 after segment i., h after segment ii., c after segment iii., d after 

 segment iv., and e at the slit which separates the lateral and 

 posterior lobes of vi. 



The two commonest dorsal processes are over the lateral pro- 

 cesses c and d, on the angles of the paired plates of segments iii. 

 and iv. The median plates are intercalated between the segments 

 — the first median between ii. and iii., the second between iii. 

 and iv., the third (when there is a third) between iv. and v. 



A. Segments V. and VI. Distinct. 



K ardomys Ehr. (2) plate XVIII. fig. 11. 



This widely-distributed species was the most abundant in all 

 the African collections. 



The second median plate is separated from the pair of plates in 

 front of it by a very obscure line, and the third median plate is 

 separated by a similar line from the half-ring which follows it. 



Examples with two and three small roundish eggs were found. 



The largest African examples were unusually large for the 

 species, measuring 260 /j, in length, exclusive of the last legs, and 

 were somewhat stout. 



The pellucid dots on the plates are granules, and there are 

 similar dots on the skin connecting the plates, and on the legs. 



^. hispinosus sp. n., plate XVIII. fig. 7, 



Specific Characters. — Small, red. Plates, 11:3 median, 2 pairs, 

 V. and vi. separate, vi. 3-lobed, all finely punctate. Lateral pro- 

 cesses, on each side a spine with bulbous base after segment iii. 

 (c, Eichters). Head setse or horns {a, Eichters) short. No dorsal 

 processes, fringe on 4th leg, or barbs on the claws. 



Length 130 fx. Very like E. arctomys, and distinguished chiefly 

 by the lateral spines. The second median plate seems more sharply 

 separated from the pair in front. The median plates could not be 

 seen to be transversely divided, as is the case with most species 

 of this section of the genus, but those plates change greatly in 

 appearance with the point of view and attitude of the animal. 

 The pellucid dots, as in E. arctomys, extend on to the membrane 

 connecting the plates. 



Eare, and no eggs seen. 



2 M 2 



