322 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 117 



Both the largest male and largest female are from one collection 

 made on Mount Squu-es in the Great Smoky Mountains, N.C. : the 

 male 33 mm. long, the female 37 mm. long. The smallest male 

 (26 mm.) is from Soco Gap, less than 20 miles from Mount Squires; 

 the smallest female (30 mm.), from the Chattooga River southeast of 

 Highlands, N.C. Probably the cited extremes nearly approximate the 

 variation to be expected mthin the species. Insofar as length is 

 concerned, all but one of the males are less than 31 mm. and all but 

 one of the females are more than 30 mm. in length. 



Synonymy. — Insofar as I can determine, Boraria stricta is a homo- 

 geneous and essentially un variable species over its entire distribution. 

 Both of the junior synonyms Aporaria Carolina and A.fumans were 

 proposed without cognizance of Brolemann's name; A.jumans was said 

 to differ from A. Carolina because of a small difference in the edge of 

 the telopodite blade. This ostensible distinction does not exist. 

 The illustration of the gonopod of A. jumans is accurate, but that of 

 A. Carolina appears somewhat stylized and cannot be matched exactly 

 by any of the dozen male topotypes which I have seen. 



Biological notes. — The paucity of published records for Boraria 

 stricta is certainly curious in view of the fact that, in my own experi- 

 ence, this species is one of the most abundant and easily collected 

 xystodesmids of the Southern Appalachians. Perhaps it has escaped 

 the notice of general collectors because of its predilection for unusually 

 moist environments. The following excerpts from field notes made 

 on the scene will give a good impression of the habitat preference: 



Asheville, N.C: "... in black wet mud under flat rocks." 



Grimshawes, N.C: "... four under debris on the sandy bank of the 



Chattoga River." 



Rabun Co., Ga.: "1 female stricta under a rock by a rushing stream." 

 Johnson Co., Tenn.: "Male in black mud by stream." 

 Soco Falls, N.C: "... in wet , muddy seepage, on a steep hillside." 

 Jonas Ridge, N.C. "1 male stricta by stream in sand mud, under wet 



leaves." 



Bat Cave, N.C: "B. stricta in a muddy spring seepage." 



Altapass, N.C: "Numerous specimens of stricta under leaves and debris 



along a small stream, virtually in the water." 



All of the material which I have collected originated from localities 

 less than 100 feet from streams or spring areas. The species is more 

 nearly semiaquatic than any other milHped I know, with the possible 

 exception of Oxidus gracilis. In places where the mud is fairly 

 fkm, B. stricta occurs in burrows apparently of its own making, 

 both in the adult and late nymphal stages. 



Despite the abundance of the species, I have found mated pairs 

 only once, at Indian Gap, Sevier Co., Tenn., on Aug. 3, 1958. 



