﻿new 
  and 
  old 
  Buthidse. 
  394 
  

  

  variation 
  for 
  the 
  reception 
  of 
  Androctonus 
  madaqascariensis 
  

   of 
  Gervais 
  (Arch. 
  Mus. 
  iv. 
  p. 
  213, 
  pi. 
  xi. 
  figs. 
  1-3). 
  

  

  The 
  sexual 
  nature 
  of 
  this 
  variation 
  in 
  the 
  pectinal 
  teeth 
  in 
  

   the 
  last-named 
  species 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  inferred 
  from 
  the 
  circum- 
  

   stance 
  that 
  the 
  sexes 
  of 
  Lepreus 
  Fischeri 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  distin- 
  

   guished 
  by 
  a 
  similar 
  variation, 
  as 
  pointed 
  out 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Karsch 
  

   (Berl. 
  ent. 
  Zeitschr. 
  xxx. 
  p. 
  77) 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  this 
  

   new 
  form, 
  inhabiting 
  as 
  it 
  does 
  the 
  same 
  geographical 
  area 
  

   as 
  Grosphus, 
  and, 
  moreover, 
  closely 
  allied 
  to 
  it, 
  makes 
  almost 
  

   certain 
  what 
  could 
  only 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  probable 
  

   before, 
  and 
  consequently 
  serves 
  considerably 
  to 
  weaken 
  the 
  

   basis 
  upon 
  which 
  Grosphus 
  was 
  founded. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  yet 
  a 
  third 
  fact 
  of 
  special 
  interest 
  connected 
  with 
  

   this 
  same 
  Scorpion. 
  In 
  some 
  species 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  B. 
  

   liosoma 
  group, 
  to 
  which, 
  as 
  above 
  pointed 
  out, 
  B. 
  Mmbatus 
  

   appears 
  to 
  be 
  allied, 
  there 
  is 
  also 
  in 
  the 
  female 
  a 
  variation 
  in 
  

   the 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  pectines. 
  But 
  this, 
  instead 
  of 
  being 
  a 
  

   difference 
  in 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  teeth, 
  takes 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  

   lobate 
  dilatation 
  of 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  shaft 
  which 
  bears 
  the 
  

   teeth 
  j 
  and 
  this 
  dilatation 
  in, 
  e. 
  g., 
  B. 
  villosus 
  occupies 
  the 
  

   same 
  position 
  as 
  does 
  the 
  dilated 
  basal 
  tooth 
  of 
  B. 
  limbatus 
  ; 
  

   so 
  that 
  clearly 
  the 
  same 
  result 
  has 
  been 
  attained 
  in 
  these 
  

   two 
  species 
  by 
  the 
  modification 
  of 
  different 
  structures, 
  and 
  

   therefore 
  presumably 
  independently 
  in 
  the 
  two. 
  The 
  useful- 
  

   ness 
  of 
  some 
  such 
  modification 
  could 
  scarcely 
  be 
  more 
  clearly 
  

   demonstrated 
  ; 
  but 
  of 
  its 
  function 
  I 
  believe 
  nothing 
  is 
  cer- 
  

   tainly 
  known. 
  

  

  Buthus 
  piceus, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  (PL 
  XV. 
  figs. 
  8, 
  8 
  a.) 
  

  

  Colour. 
  — 
  Dull 
  black 
  above, 
  piceous, 
  shining 
  beneath 
  ; 
  

   appendages 
  and 
  tail 
  slightly 
  paler 
  than 
  the 
  trunk 
  ; 
  pectines 
  

   and 
  distal 
  tarsal 
  segments 
  of 
  legs 
  ochraceous. 
  

  

  Cephalothorax 
  not 
  furnished 
  with 
  keels, 
  covered 
  thickly 
  

   with 
  granules, 
  not 
  markedly 
  attenuate 
  in 
  front 
  ; 
  anterior 
  bor- 
  

   der 
  slightly 
  concave 
  ; 
  ocular 
  tubercle 
  situated 
  well 
  in 
  the 
  ante- 
  

   rior 
  half, 
  with 
  a 
  shallow 
  median 
  sulcus 
  ; 
  the 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   cephalothorax 
  which 
  is 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  tubercle 
  is 
  furnished 
  

   with 
  a 
  very 
  shallow 
  median 
  depression, 
  but 
  the 
  portion 
  behind 
  

   the 
  tubercle 
  is 
  deeply 
  sulcate, 
  the 
  ordinary 
  median 
  sulcus 
  

   being 
  very 
  strongly 
  pronounced 
  and 
  giving 
  off 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  

   about 
  halfway 
  between 
  the 
  ocular 
  tubercle 
  and 
  the 
  posterior 
  

   margin 
  a 
  transverse 
  sulcus, 
  which, 
  widening 
  and 
  deepening, 
  

   extends 
  to 
  the 
  lateral 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  cephalothorax. 
  

  

  Tergites 
  finely 
  and 
  closely 
  granular 
  ; 
  granules 
  slightly 
  

   larger 
  in 
  the 
  hinder 
  half 
  of 
  each 
  ; 
  not 
  furnished 
  with 
  three 
  

  

  