144 DE. C. CHILTON ON THE 



Lund says, on the islands and shores of the Pacific. In New Zealand there are at least 

 six species which may he distinguished as follows : — 



A. Surface of Ijody uearly smooth. 



I. Inferior maroia of first segment of mesosome simple. 



a. Outer branch of uropoda very small, rudimentary A. speciosus. 



b. Outer branch of uropoda of moderate size A. ambitiosus. 



II. Inferior margin of first segment of mesosome grooved along its whole length . A. Dan(E. 



III. Margin of first segment of mesosome notched behind A. rugulosus. 



B. Surface of body with crests or tubercles. 



I. Surface with numerous thin crests or flange-like processes A. Hamiltoni. 



II. Surface with setose tubercles. 



a. Tubercles large^ about four on each segment of mesosome A. Macmahoni. 



b. Tubercles small, acute, numerous A. spinosus. 



1. Armadillo ambitiosus, Budde-Lund. (Plate 16. fig. 5.) 



Armadillo ambitiosus, Budde-Lund, Prospectus Crust. Isop. terr. p. 7 (1879) ; Isopoda Terrestria, 

 p. 34 (1885). 

 Specific description. — Body oval, very convex, nearly smooth, minutely punctate. 

 Dorsal surface of cephalon marked off from the pre-epistome by a well-marked ridge, 

 which at the sides projects a little above the surface of the cephalon, centre usually a 

 little depressed ; dorsal surface smooth or a little vineven, pro-ejiistome smooth, fiat. 

 Inferior margin of first segment of mesosome thin, with a small tooth posteriorly on the 

 inner surface ; second segment with the inferior margin entire, thicker in front, the 

 thickened part ending abruptly in a small tvibercle on tiie inner surface at some little 

 distance from the margin. Posterior margins of the anterior four segments sinuate, 

 posterior angle of first produced backwards subacute, that of second a little produced. 

 Terminal segment of metasome a little longer than its breadth at base, narrowing 

 abruptly, the posterior portion with sides parallel or slightly divergent ; posterior margin 

 truncate, slightly rounded or squarely truncate, often with a very small emargination 

 in the centre. 



Antennae minutely setose, flagellum as long as fourth joint of peduncle, and shorter 

 than the fifth, its second joint three times as long as the first, apex with styliform 

 appendage about as long as first joint. Eyes somewhat large, with about 20 ocelli. 

 Basal joint of uropoda with the portion exposed dorsally narrow, about twice as long 

 as broad, end sharply rounded; extei'i or ramus slender, arising from well-marked notch 

 on inner margin of base, not reaching quite to the end of l)ase ; inner branch a little 

 shorter than the terminal segment. Colour usually brownish, varying considerably in 

 depth of tint, usually with wavy markings of a lighter colour on each side of median 

 line. 



Length up to 1.5 mm., breadth about 7 mm., height 3".5 mm. 



Habitat. — Widely distributed in North Island ; also found at Greymouth and Kenepuru. 



Remarks. — This is a widely-spread species, and appears to show considerable 



variation. It is quite possible that I am including under it forms that others might 



look upon as separate species, but my difficulty has been that if I divide it up at all, I 



