OK GEOPHILUS ATTENUATUS, SAY, OF THE CLASS 



CHILOPODA. 



By O. F. Cook. 



The ideutification of tliis species has not proved an easy task. Dr. 

 Wood says of his Mecistocephalus fulvus: "It may possibly be Geophilns 

 (itteniiatus^ but that species can uever be determined from Say \s descrip- 

 tion." The late Charles fl. Bollman has, however, attempted an identi- 

 fication,' which places as synonyms of G. attenuatus the followlug 

 species: G. hi jmnctlceps, Wood, G. (jeorgianus, Meinert, and G. per/or- 

 atiis (McNeill j. It is not necessary here to touch upon the question of 

 the identity of G. georgiamis and G. perforatus with G. hipuncticeps, 

 further than to agree that they are at least related species. The ground 

 on which Mr. Bollman based the identification of G. hipnncticeps with 

 attenuatus, was that hipuncticeps was the only species of the southeastern 

 region which could bear Say's description. Lest this view should be 

 taken as final, it seems best to publish the tact that there exists in the 

 region indicated another animal to which Say's description is much 

 more ap])licable. 



In interpreting Say's language it should be taken into consideration 

 that he gives closer attention to tlie colors than to the other characters, 

 and that his color descriptions of Myriapoda are absolute, his acquaint- 

 ance with the group not being suflrtcient to enable the use of many 

 comparative differences. The colors of Geophilida^ vary indeed, but 

 within limits and in a definite direction. Young and recently molted 

 individuals are pale and become darker with age. The strictly sub- 

 terranean species usually remain very light, while those living under 

 stones or bark of decaying trees have a more pronounced coloration. 

 Thus, between white or jiale specimens the exact shade may be of little 

 importance in specific diagnosis, but a deep color, such as a reddish- 

 brown, is quite a different matter. Say calls Gcophilus riihens,^ a nuich 

 deeper- colored species, "red," but not brown, while Scolopocryptops 



' Bull. 46, U. S. Nat. Mus., p. 148. 1893. 



2 Mr. Bollman was correct iu identifying Geopliilus ceplialicus, Wooil, witL this 

 species. I have examined the type in the British Mnseum. 



Proceedings of the United States National Museum, Vol. XVIII— No. 1038. 



59 



