1881. J NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 79 



THE STRTJCTURE, AFFINITIES AND SPECIES OF SCOLOPENDRELLA. 

 BY JOHN A. RYDER, 



Inasmuch as a notice,^ published by nie in the American Natu- 

 ralist for May, 1880, has awakened renewed interest in relation to 

 these singular types, and because the ordinal division proposed 

 by me for their reception has apparently'' been accepted by Dr. 

 LatzeP in his revision of the Austro-Hungarian species of Myria- 

 2)oda, I venture to offer the results of m}' studies for the use of 

 those interested. Since the publication of m}^ notice above referred 

 to, I have met with a paper unknown to me at the time mine was 

 written, which in many respects anticipates the observations made 

 by the writer, and relied upon as characters of ordinal value. The 

 publication here alluded to is entitled " Myriapodender Umgegend 

 von Danzig "^ by Menge, in which the author discusses at length 

 the anatomy of the Scolopendrella immaculata Newp. From his 

 plates and text I find that, while he confirms m}- observations 

 in man}' respects, in others his interpretations conflict with 

 mine. Not only is this the fact with regard to my observations, 

 but also with those of others who have studied the genus. Taken 

 as a whole, the monograph of Menge is, however, by far the most 

 valuable which has yet appeared. 



The following synopsis of Menge's observations will, I think, 

 be found useful. I will preserve as nearly as possible the phrase- 

 olog3' of the German text, which has reference to S. immaculata. 



" Head compressed, ovoid, little longer than wide ; 



antenua3 40-42, articulate, inserted immediately behind the la- 

 brum, the joints compressed fusiform, urn-shaped, the basal ones 

 thicker than long, becoming gradually longer towards the tip, so 

 that the apical joints are more than twice as long as thick ; ter- 

 minal joint acorn-shaped. Each joint is encircled at its middle 



by a circlet of outwardly divergent hairs Behind* the 



insertion of the antennae, at the sides, are two little prominences 

 on the epicranium and alongside and above them on each side 

 is placed a round black ej^e, visible onlj'- under the microscope. 



^ " Scolopendrella as the type of a new order of Articulates (Symphyla)." 

 ^ R. Latzel, " Die Myriapoden der oesterreichisch-ungariscli Mouarchie. 



Erste Halfte. Die Chilopoden," pp. 228, Pis. 10, 8vo. Vienna, 1880. 

 * Neuste Schriften der naturforscheuden Gesellschaft in Danzig, IV, 4tes 



Heft, 4to. 1851. 



