NO. 1170. THE FAMILY GOMPHODESM ID Ji— COOK. 725 



Locality. — One male and two female si)ecimens are in the Berlin 

 Museum from Taru, vicinity of Mombasa, collected by F. Thomas. 



This species was compared with the type of Astrodesmus luridvs 

 (Karsch), also from Mombasa, but the two are, without doubt, distinct, 

 and the basal remnants of the copnlatory lejjfs of liiridiis, wliicli are 

 robust and close togetiier, render it certain that tliat species has uoth- 

 inft- to do with those arranj^ed under Sif/odesmits, although in »S'. monoce- 

 rtis the process of tlie sixtli segment lias a distinct distal margin and 

 a small, abruptly rounded apiculus, much as in Astrodesmus luridun. 



SIGODESMUS CONTORTUS (Pocock). 



JCurydeamua contortiiH I'ococK, Aim. and Mag. N:il. Hist., W.Hi, (itb scr., X^'II, 

 p. 436, pi. XVIII, fig. 4. 



Type. — British Museum. 



Locality. — Mkonumbi, region of Mount Kenia, East Africa. 



Length, 25 mm.; width, 5 mm. 



This species agrees with iudit/us- in si/e and habit and in the armature 

 of the sterna of the male. The copulatory legs agree, moreover, in that 

 the llagellum divides distad into two large prongs, but from the single 

 drawing given by Mr. Pocock it appears that the two spines which 

 arise near the node are more nearly equal in size and lengtli than in 

 8. indigus. Were the habitat the same, one would be inclined to look 

 uj)on *S'. innotatuH as a synonym of this species, on account of the close 

 approximation in the shape of the distal i)art of the flagellum. 



SIGODESMUS RUSPOLII (Silvestri). 

 Anlodenmua rmpolii Siia'Kstki, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genoa, 1S96, XXXVII, j». r)9, fig. 1. 



Color fusco testaceus, antenna' and legs reddish. 



First segment short, rounded in front, laterally margined and Avith 

 the angles acute. 



Preanal s(;ale with tlie sides arcuate and the ai)ex trum^ate, armed 

 with three large tubercles, of which the lateral bear long hairs. 



Sternum of segment 6 armed with a large, broad, ui)right i)rocess, 

 somewhat rounded at apex and beset with long hairs. 



Ninth pair of legs armed at base with a rather small, obtuse process. 



Sternum of segment 15, with a rather long, triangular, acute process 

 directed cephalad. 



Coi)ulatory legs at the base of the flagellum with three arcuate proc- 

 esses shorter and less attenuate [than in 8. innotatm]; flagellum at 

 apex with two connivent processes, of which the longer is not pointed 

 and is provided near its base with a rather large tooth. 



Length, 40 mm.; width, 10 mm. 



Locality. — Teb, Somaliland. 



The above is a translation of Silvestri's description with the omission 

 of characters common to all the representatives of this family. Jt was 

 based on a male specimen collected by Prince ltusi)oli and preserved in 

 the Genoa Museum. 



