HOPLOPHORA DASYPUS. 561 



as much ; H. magna also varies considerably. It will 

 be seen that I have put a query to the Italian refer- 

 ences. Canestrini's description and Berlese's figure, of 

 the pseudo-stigmatic organ do not quite agree with 

 the English specimens ; there may be two species, if 

 so it would not be possible to say which is Duges' 

 original dasypits. Nicolet does not say what the 

 pseudo-stigmatic organ of his H. nitens is like, he 

 describes that of H. stricula, so presumably if he had 

 seen it in nitens he would have described it there 

 also, from which we may judge that it was very small, 

 as in the present species; his seems to have been 

 the abundant species. Berlese describes the pseudo- 

 stigmatic organs as short and simple ("simplex"), 

 but he figures them long and simple, and also identifies 

 his species with Claparede's H. contractilis which has 

 pseudo-stigmatic organs short but not exactly simple ; 

 they are excellently figured and described by Claparede, 

 and there is no doubt that Claparede's species is iden- 

 tical with mine. 



Colour varies with age and size, from pale drab to 

 dark chestnut, or red-brown. 



Texture always smooth, sometimes highly polished 

 in life ; in most prepared specimens a fine granulation 

 of the inner layer of the cuticle is seen through the 

 outer layers. 



Form, a rather short oval, almost elliptical, rounded 

 posteriorly. 



Cephalothorax smooth, witJwut any carina^ mode- 

 rately deep in the arch ; curved in the rostral portion, 

 almost straight posteriorly ; a pair of fine short hairs 

 on the curve may be considered the rostral hairs. 

 Palpi showing plainly from the lateral aspect ; maxillae 

 and mandibles large and powerful, finely dentate. 

 Pseudo-stigmata very small, almost hidden by the pro- 

 gaster. Pseudo-stigmatic organs also very small, 

 generally difficult to see except in dissections, they are 

 curved, flattened, and lanceolate on a short peduncle 

 (PI. L, figs. 11 and 12). The three small air-sacs 



VOL. II. 36 



