308 ARACHNIDA — -SCORPIONIDEA PEDIPALPI chap. 



There are three sub -families, Megacorminae, Euscorpiinae, 

 and Chactinae. 



The Megacorminae include but a single Mexican form, 

 Megacormus granosus. There is a single toothed keel under 

 the " tail," and all the under surface is spiny. There is a row of 

 long bristles under the tarsus. 



In the Euscorpiinae the upper surface of the hand is divided 

 into two surfaces almost at right angles by a strong finger-keel. 

 This is a small group of about six species found in the Mediter- 

 ranean region. The two genera are Uuscorpius and Belisarius. 



The Chactinae are without any marked keel on the hand. 

 The scorpions of this sub-family are found in equatorial South 

 America and the West Indies, where there are more than 

 twenty species divided about equally between the four genera 

 Chactas, Broteas, Broteochactas, and Teuthraustes. 



Fam. 5. Vejovidae. — iVb tibial, hut tivo pedal simrs. A smgle 

 ruiv of hairs or papillae under the tarsus. Sternum generally 

 broader than long. Elongate stigmata, and three lateral eyes. 



Seven of the eight genera of this family include only 

 American forms, the principal genus being Vej'ovis, with about 

 ten species. The genus Scorpiops, however, belongs to the 

 Indian region and numbers more than ten species.^ 



Fam. 6. Bothriuridae. — Sternum much reduced and some- 

 times hardly visible, consisting of two slight, nearly transverse bars. 



Of the seven genera of this family one, Cercophonius, is 

 Australian. The other six genera include some dozen South 

 American forms, Both.ri%irus having four species. 



Order II. Pedipalpi. 



Arachnids with non-chelate, tivo-jointed chelicerae, p>owerful 

 piedipcdpi, and four pairs of legs, of which only the last three are 

 ambulatoi^y, the first being iised as tactile organs. The cephalo- 

 thorax is usually covered by an undivided carapace, hut the pedim- 

 culated abdomen is segmented. Respiration is by htng-hooks. 



The Pedipalpi are a little-known group of animals of nocturnal 

 habits. Though rarely seen they are widely distributed, Ijeing 

 found in India, Arabia, the greater part of Africa, and Central 



1 Pocock, Fauna of British India, '' Aracluiida." London, 1900. 



