530 BRITISH OEIBATID^. 



Claws monodactyle, thick, somewhat less curved than 

 usual. 



Abdomen flat, shield-shaped^ without markings ; 

 progaster nearly straight ; hind margin not quite 

 pointed ; there is a sparse line of rather short setiform 

 hairs round the lateral and hind margins. Genital and 

 anal plates close together, the former broader than the 

 latter, which reach the hind margin. 



Distribution. — I have only two or three specimens, 

 from moss on the ground ; Mr. Bostock has one or two 

 from moss at Cannock Chase, and found others in 

 some dried sphagnum sent to him, and which was sup- 

 posed to have come from abroad. I believe the species 

 to be unrecorded. 



Genus— HYPOCTHONIUS,* Koch. 



ApterogasterincB with cephalothorax anchylosed to 

 abdomen ; notogaster more or less flat ; abdomen dis- 

 tinctly segmented, often with lateral blades. 



This genus was instituted by Koch, who knew of 

 two species, H. rufidus and II. pallidulus. Nicolet 

 asserted that these two were nymphs, and that the 

 genus was entirely founded on an immature type. In 

 this Nicolet was in error, but it was natural enough 

 that he should have made the mistake if he did not see 

 the adult female with eggs ; for the imperfect chitini- 

 zation of the cuticle, the bright colouring, and the 

 monodactyle claws of the creatures wli^ch compose this 

 genus, make them look very like nymphs ; and two of 

 Koch's other genera, viz. Gelceno and Murcia, are really 

 composed of nymphs. It is less easy to understand 

 why Nicolet specially selected H. rufuhis as being the 

 nymph of Leiosoma ovatum. Haller pointed out some 



* 'Ytto, beneath ; x6o»"oc> terrestrial. 



