British Orihatidse. Btj A. D. Michael. 201 



not think the species identical, I should have been forced to rename 

 this, but for the fact that it does not really belong to the genus 

 Nothrus at all, bi4 is I think a Hermannia. 



Colour white,' except a plate covering the rostrum, and the 

 legs and epimera, all of which are dark brown. Rostrum rather 

 small, truncated, and armed with two strong, blunt, curved spines 

 directed forward. The chitinous plate which covers it is granular 

 and bears two ridges, parallel anteriorly, but diverging at the 

 rear ; the plate is continued a little further back on the cephalo- 

 thorax than the rostrum, but it is only as wide as the latter, thus 

 leaving a soft, white, part at the side ; under this the first pair of 

 legs are inserted, and work in the angle where it meets the 

 rostrum. There is a transverse line of curved spines on the 

 hinder part of the cephalothorax, pomting backward, but probably 

 capable of being erected. Legs hard, thick, gradually tapering 

 towards the distal end ; each tarsus is armed with three or four 

 short, strong spikes on its under side, and numerous hairs of 

 varying size on its upper and lateral surfaces. There is one similar 

 spike under each fourth joint ; each joint bears one or two strong, 

 curved spines on its outer edge, and the trochanters of the first pair 

 a similar one on the inner edge. The fourth joints of this pair 

 have each two long hairs arising from the centre of their distal 

 ends, and there are other hairs and spines of less importance ; 

 these all collect such a quantity of dirt and vegetable matter about 

 them that it is often difficult to see them. The claws are short, 

 thick, and strongly curved. 



There is not any clear line of demarcation between cephalothorax 

 and abdomen ; the latter is arched and really is not much longer 

 than broad ; it is nearly its full width at the posterior margin, 

 which is slightly rounded ; both the lateral and posterior margins 

 are bordered with short, curved spines or hairs, the latter margin 

 also having a second row lower in level, and there are two rows of 

 about four such hairs on the notogaster. 



There are two rounded openings on each side of the abdomen, 

 near the hind margin, which appear to be stigmata, and I have not 

 been able to discover any stigmata or stigmatic hairs in the usual 

 place. 



This singular nymph, as before stated, appears to be amphi- 

 bious, living equally well in Sphagnum under water, or in other 

 mosses on dry land. 



Found near Epping ; not uncommon. 



