136 Transactions of the Society. 



IV. — African Tardigrada. 

 By James Murray, F.E.S.E. 



{Bead November 20, 1912.) 



Plates VI, VII. 



In a paper contributed to this Journal in 1907 (P)* an account was 

 given of some South African Water-bears, found in moss sent to 

 me by Mr. Milne, of Uitenhage, Cape Colony. 



In the present paper these notes on the Water-bears of South 

 Africa will be supplemented from further material sent by Mr. 

 Milne, and by various members of the staff of the Transvaal 

 Museum, Pretoria. There will also be given a short account of 

 the Water-bears of Tropical Africa, from material contributed 

 by Mr. N. D. F. Pearce, of Cambridge, Mr. Alexander Allan, of 

 Kikuyu, and Sir Philip Brocklehurst. 



In a recent work of some importance (19) Thulin has made a 

 revision of the classification of the Water-bears in genera, which 

 involves a redistribution of a large number of species. It has been 

 recognized for some time that a new genus was required for those 

 species of Ecliiniscus which have an additional segment, consisting 

 usually of a pair of plates, between the second pair and the end- 

 plate, and Thulin' s genus Pseudechiniscus supplies this want. The 

 re-establishment of the genus Arctiscon, in place of the long- 

 accepted Milnesium, seems to me to be required by the accepted 

 rules of zoological nomenclature. 



The re-establishment of Ehrenberg's genus Hypsihius may or 

 may not be justified. I have not at present access to the literature 

 which would enable me to examine the question on its merits. 

 The only character in Ehrenberg's diagnosis which distinguishes 



* The figures in brackets refer to the Bibhography at the end of paper. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE VI. 



Fig. la. — Echiniscus africanus Murray. 

 16. Ditto. Inner claw. 

 Ic. Ditto. Second median plate. 

 2a. — Ecliiniscus crassispinosus Murray, variety. 

 2b. Ditto. Inner claw. 

 3. — Echinisc7cs duboisi Richters, variety. 

 4a. — Echiniscus sp. 

 46. Ditto. Claw. 

 4c. Ditto. Lateral seta. 



