NO. 1154. AMERICAN MEROCHETA— COOK. 457 



Copulatory le^s with a larjyc, bulbous, hairy base boariiij? two rami 

 of subeciual length, of wliich the anterior is rathei slender and ends in 

 a point, while the posterior bears distally a subcapitate process turned 

 laterad. 



The apparent difference in detail, if not in type, between the copula- 

 tory legs of this genus and those of OiiiKCodcsmiis adds an argument, if 

 any were necessary, to proof of the distinctness of the genera, although 

 tl.cse important structures had not been described for Onisaodcsmus 

 when Detodesmus was recognized as separate. 



DETODESMUS AURANTIACUS (Peters). 



(Plato XXX, ligs. la-lo.) 



OniBcodemniis auraiitiactis Pktehs, MonatHber. K. Akad. Wiss. IJerliii, 18(j4, p. 530 

 DetodamuH (iitrantiacus C.'ooK, Hrandtia, lM!)Ci, j). 26. 



Tj/^fc. — No. 245, Berlin Museum. 

 Localiti/. — Caracas, Venezuela. 



Family CYUTODKSMID.E (look. 



Cj/rtodeniiiidic Cook, Itrandtia, 189(>, p. US. 



Body small, five or six times as long as broad; dorsum very strongly 

 convex, the carina' broad, inojecting- almost directly downward; sur- 

 face of segments pilose, hispid, or tuborculate, without an areatc border, 



Second segment more or less enlarged and decurved, much exceeding 

 all the others. 



Lateral carina' rounded or sub(iuadratc, with a tleep notch in the jms- 

 terior margin at base. 



Kepugnatorial pores distinct, surrounded by a raised rim or borne 

 on a special tubercle; the pores are located near the middle of the 

 carina', near the base. 



Supplementary margin finely and regularly pectinate. 



Last segment much broader than long, subrectangular, the posterior 

 margin notched and tuberculate; several setiferous tubercles are 

 located below the niargin. 



It seems certain that the forms placed here can not be arranged under 

 any other family. As yet the copulatory logs have not been described 

 or (igured, nor has there been the (;omparative study necessary to 

 determine the allinities of the family. As a suggestion, however, the 

 Doi'atodesmida' of the Malay region might be mentioned. Here, as in 

 the Cyrtodesmida', tlu; body appears rather skuider when extended, on 

 account of the vertical carina^, and when coiled it is more lenticular 

 and less sj)herical than the other American families treated here. In 

 the coiled animal there would be left on each side an open space were 

 this not covered by the greatly enlarged carina' of the second segment, 

 against which the carina' of most of the other segments can be brought 

 into contact, thus forming a comi)lete armor. 



