British Oribatidse. By A. D. Michael. 247 



genus. A long hair standing upright midway between each 

 stigmatic tube and the central line, two further forward, and t;jvo 

 short curved ones at the point of the rostrum. Abdomen oval, 

 slightly pointed posteriorly, very polished, two rows of long light 

 hairs round margin, two separate ones in the centre of the back 

 (transversely), near the anus, and four shorter round the anal 

 margin ; coxae of first two pairs of legs concealed from above, those 

 of two posterior pairs conspicuous ; legs with the femoral joints 

 very short and cylindrical, other joints as in geniculatus ; a few 

 light hairs on each joint. 



Dam/eus splendens. Koch. 



35. Ojpjpia sjjJendens. Koch, fasc. 32, pi. 6. 



Average length about '31 mm. 

 „ breadth „ "14 „ 



I am not able to see any sufficient distinction between the 

 genera Damseus and Opjna, and therefore I have not adopted the 

 latter. 



Found at Wandsworth, Epping Forest, and near Tamworth. 



This is the smallest member of the Oribatidse I have found ; 

 why Koch called such a minute, unobtrusive creature sjplendens 

 I cannot explain, unless it were a kind of grim joke : his descriptions 

 and figure, however, leave Httle doubt as to identification ; indeed, 

 the very small size and the singular way in which the joints of 

 the legs are enlarged nearly into balls, making the legs under a 

 low power look like a string of beads loosely strung, distinguish it 

 at once. This is conspicuous and exceptional at the insertion of 

 the tarsi in the first two pairs of legs. Stigmatic hairs rather 

 long, with a flat, fusiform, pointed club. 



GENUS TEGEOCRANUS. 



36. Tegeocranus latus. Koch. PI. IX. Figs 1, 2, and 3. 



Ce])heus latus. Koch, fasc. 3, pi. 11. 

 Tugeocranus cepheiforynis. Nic. 465. 



Found by Mr. George at Kirton Lindsey and by me at Epping 

 Forest ; not uncommon. 



The English specimens have not the two hairs on the vertex 

 figured by Nicolet, and they have two pairs of hairs in front of the 

 mouth instead of one. 



I have retained Koch's name, being unable to see why Nicolet 

 has rechristened this and bestowed Koch's name on a dift'erent 

 creature (discovered by Nicolet). 



This is the species above referred to, of which I have bred the 

 very singular larva and nymph, neither of which have, I believe, 



