576 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. no 



Werneck compared malabarica to H. hirsuta Ferris (from Sigmodon 

 in the New World). The long series of individuals of malabarica 

 collected by Elbel makes possible an expanded diagnosis and com- 

 parison of this species with hirsuta. 



In most respects the two species are similar. The thoracic sternal 

 plate is identical and the shape of the paratergal plates very similar. 

 The lateral setae of the abdomen (those occurring off the tergal and 

 sternal plates) are noticeably heavier in hirsuta, although a comparison 

 of actual specimens is necessary to satisfactorily show this difference. 

 The form of the paratergal plates and their setation is highly variable 

 in both species. Female malabarica always have one long apical 

 seta on plates IV- VI (on VI this seta may be very long) ; the second 

 apical seta on the above plates is minute or absent. One abnormal 

 female examined had two long setae on paratergal plate IV. In hirsuta 

 females plates IV-VI always have two long setae (fig. 10). Para- 

 tergal plate VI of hirsuta usually has two apical angles, although in 

 occasional specimens there are no free angles. Malabarica females 

 have a dorsal angle on plate VI, but usually the ventral angle is 

 rounded and not free. Generally, hirsuta females have more setae 

 in the abdominal rows. Werneck draws and describes the female 

 of malabarica as having neither tergal nor sternal plates on the typical 

 abdominal segments. This condition was not true of the Thai 

 specimens, the plates being invariably present although often ex- 

 tremely narrow and incomplete. In hirsuta females there are always 

 three or more setae laterally off each abdominal plate both dorsally 

 and ventrally, while malabarica females have but one or two setae 

 in these positions. 



In males of the two species the setation of the paratergal plates 

 is extremely variable. In both hirsuta and malabarica the male 

 usually has one long seta on plates IV-VI with the second seta minute 

 or absent (compare figs. 11 and 13). However, hirsuta males may 

 have two long setae on one or all of plates IV-VI, and both types may 

 be found in a single collection. None of the malabarica males exam- 

 ined had more than one long apical seta on plates IV-VI. Malaharica 

 males generally have fewer setae in the abdominal rows than hirsuta 

 males have. Werneck 's drawing of male malabarica shows no tergal 

 abdominal plates. All the Thai males have a normal number of nar- 

 row tergal plates. The male genitalia of malabarica and hirsuta differ 

 in small but constant fashion. In hirsuta the parameres (fig. 15) are 

 strongly curved apically so that were the tips joined by an imaginary 

 line the parameres would form an almost perfect semicircle apically. 

 In malabarica the parameres are not so strongly curved inward. 

 The pseudopenis of hirsuta is usually not serrate, and the angle at 

 its broadest point is usually about halfway between the base of the 



