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and descriptions are given by the able and infatigable investigator 

 Michael. The text is divided in three parts, viz. a list of' syno- 

 nyms and enurneration of the works in which the anitnal is treated. 

 2. a talk over the opinious of different authors concerning probably 

 allied species, and 3. the description itself. Finally we have the 

 tables with the drawings. If now, however, 1 am questioned earn- 

 estly whether I am satisfied or uot, I regret to be obliged to 

 auswer in the negative. The list of synonyms and works treating 

 on the creature is far froni being complete. Now I confess that 

 it is unattainable to publish a real complete list, for ever and 

 anon we meet in our study with works in which the animal is 

 mentioned, and in which we should not expect it; but the list 

 could be more extensive. 



I cannot agree with my friend where he considers Turpin's 

 mite (1837, Compt. R. Ac. Sci., v. 5, p. 672, figg.) » probably" 

 to be this species. The female (for it contains an egg) clrawn by 

 Turpin has no copulation-tube, and epimera I are not joined. 



Even with a magnifying glass with an amplification of 10 to 

 15 diameters it is in most instances easy to distinguish cadaverum 

 from domesticus, the former having unvariably black contents 

 in the intestine the latter not, even when they have fed of the 

 same material, e. g. hay, straw, etc. 



In describing the hairs and their situation the author, though 

 telling us exactly which hairs stand above or under the body, 

 does not draw this situation in his figures. The vulva is wrongly 

 represented. No mention is made of one of the most striking 

 characteristics of domesticus, viz. the presence of a crista, or 

 rudiment of a dorsal shield. 



1903. Nov. 1. Oudemans mentions his discovery of this shield 

 or crista. 



Description. 



Larva. Length 160 — 200 /x. Colour white. Texture like that of 

 the adults, finely punctured or better granulated, the granules 

 being not chitinous, for they can be elongated or stretched by 



15 



