22 ARKIV FÖR ZOOLOGI. BAND 3. N:0 28. 



In Neo7negistus and the nymphse the tarsi I are longer than 

 femora I, whereas in Paramegistus it is just the contrary. 



Summing up the conclusions of this comparison between 

 the three different forms, it seems to me, that we may safely 

 admit, that while the difference between the nj^mphae and Para- 

 megistus is altogether to o great to allow any idea of their be- 

 longing to the same species, Neomegistus and the nymphse 

 present a very striking conformity with regard to a number 

 of import ant characters. 



The difference between the latter is 



1. The highly speciaHzed hairs in Neomegistus viz. the 

 minute, hyahn dorsal hairs, the strong marginal bristles and 

 the two different forms of ven trål hairs in the different sexes. 



2. The shape of the mouthparts, which exhibit some se- 

 cndary sexual characters in the J . 



3. The degree of development of ventral shields. 



4r The legs II and III of the J^^ which exhibit a secondary 

 sexual character. 



5. The more highly specialized ambulacres. 



All these characters are ref erable to adaptions to the special 

 mode of life of Neomegistus and the difference between N. and 

 the nymphse is certainly even smaller than the difference 

 between the nymphse and adult forms of acari which, contrary 

 to Neomegistus through their hole development, have the same 

 habits. It is therefore impossible to deny, that the probability 

 of the nymphse belonging to Neomegistus amounts as nearly as 

 possible to a certainty. 



An interesting fact in connection with the developement of 

 Neomegistus is, that during the winter-months the animals do not 

 occur on the Julidce at all. This certainly depends upon the 

 habits of the Julidce during winter time. 



In summer time we may find them in great numbers in 

 the bush, of ten climbing the trees to a considerable height and 

 feeding on decayed wooden matter; when disturbed they let 

 themselves dröp to the ground. This latter habit accounts for 

 the enormous developement of the ambulacra of Neomegistus, 

 which to judge from the great ease with which they move about 

 on the Julidce and at the same time stick to them very 

 firmly,^ renders it highly probable, that even during the break- 

 neck falls of the Julidce they are able to stick to them. 



^ It was not an easy task to catch and remove them from the 

 JuHdae, even with a small forceps. 



