504 BRITISH ORIBATID^. 



Average lengtli about '80 mm. 



Average breadth about '42 mm. 



Average length of legs (first and fourth pairs) about 

 '49 mm. 



Average length of legs (second and third pairs) about 

 •39 mm. 



This species does not appear to be the Nothrus lior- 

 ridus of Nicolet or Berlese. 



I have found this to be one of the most puzzling and 

 difficult species to elucidate ; probably most students of 

 the genus will have the same experience. A careful 

 study of Hermann's work, and of the various later works 

 in which this and the allied species are treated of, and 

 also of a long series of specimens of various allied 

 forms (including the one here treated of), both in life 

 and in various modes of preservation and, also of 

 specimens which Professor Berlese has been good 

 enough to send me, both of his N. horridus and his N. 

 angidatus, have led me to the conclusion that the 

 species here described is the true N. horridus of Her- 

 mann, and that the above is, as far as I can judge, the 

 correct synonymy. 



It will be observed that I have put a query to the 

 last two synonyms of adults. It is very difficult to 

 say whether Koch's N. histriatus is this species or not ; 

 I incline to think that it is not. With regard to 

 Berlese's N. angulatus the specimens which he sent 

 me, and which he considers to be Koch's iV^. angulatus 

 (an opinion in which I am not able to agree), are 

 certainly very like this species ; but there are some 

 small differences, and all the specimens he sends are 

 alike, while all mine are also alike. Firstly, although 

 the measurement which he gives in his book agrees 

 with my specimens, yet his specimens are larger. I 

 do not think much of this, as Italian specimens might 

 well be larger than English, but he does not show or 

 mention any hairs on the oblong central carination of 

 the notogaster, although he draws them on the allied 



