﻿A 
  EEYISIOiT 
  OF 
  TROPICAL 
  AFRICAN 
  DIPLOPODA 
  OF 
  THE 
  

   FAMILY 
  STRONGYLOSOMATIDAE. 
  

  

  By 
  O. 
  F. 
  Cook, 
  

  

  Custodian 
  of 
  Myriapoda, 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  present 
  paper 
  are 
  included 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  extended 
  descrii)- 
  

   tious 
  of 
  new 
  species 
  of 
  Diplopoda, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  expansions 
  and 
  amend- 
  

   ments 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  sncli 
  old 
  species 
  as 
  an 
  examination 
  of 
  type 
  specimens 
  

   shows 
  to 
  be 
  desirable. 
  It 
  is 
  now 
  unsafe 
  to 
  make 
  identifications 
  from 
  

   many 
  of 
  the 
  older 
  descriptions, 
  so 
  that 
  a 
  better 
  knowledge 
  of 
  their 
  types 
  

   is 
  even 
  more 
  important 
  than 
  the 
  description 
  of 
  new 
  forms. 
  In 
  all 
  cases 
  

   the 
  ownership 
  of 
  the 
  type 
  has 
  been 
  indicated, 
  and 
  the 
  localities 
  have 
  

   been 
  carefully 
  specified, 
  this 
  being 
  rendered 
  necessary 
  by 
  the 
  frequent 
  

   confusion 
  occurring 
  in 
  African 
  geography 
  by 
  reason 
  of 
  changes 
  and 
  

   duplications 
  of 
  names. 
  

  

  Family 
  STRONGYLOSOMATIDAE 
  Cook. 
  

  

  Sfronfuilosomafidae 
  Cook, 
  Ann. 
  X. 
  Y. 
  Acad. 
  Sci., 
  IX, 
  j). 
  5. 
  

  

  This 
  family 
  includes 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  Merocheta 
  with 
  slight 
  develoj)- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  lateral 
  carinae 
  and 
  long 
  legs. 
  These 
  characters 
  are, 
  however, 
  

   not 
  sufficient 
  for 
  diagnosis, 
  but 
  are 
  supplemented 
  by 
  the 
  long 
  aiitenuie, 
  

   the 
  distinct 
  inferior 
  carinae, 
  the 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  spined 
  sterna, 
  and 
  the 
  long 
  

   falcate 
  or 
  hamate 
  copulatory 
  legs, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  basal 
  Joint 
  is 
  longer 
  

   than 
  in 
  most 
  other 
  families. 
  As 
  distinctive 
  secondary 
  sexual 
  characters 
  

   may 
  be 
  mentioned 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  processes 
  from 
  the 
  sternum 
  of 
  

   the 
  fifth 
  segment 
  of 
  males 
  and 
  of 
  pads 
  of 
  dense 
  hairs 
  on 
  the 
  two 
  distal 
  

   joints 
  of 
  the 
  anterior 
  male 
  legs. 
  

  

  ANALYTICAL 
  KEY 
  TO 
  THE 
  AFRICAN 
  GENERA 
  OF 
  STRONGYLOSOMATIDAE. 
  

  

  Doisnm 
  slightly 
  convex, 
  the 
  carinae 
  rather 
  large, 
  prominent 
  along 
  the 
  entire 
  

   posterior 
  sabsegment; 
  legs 
  and 
  antennae 
  short; 
  sterna 
  broad, 
  all 
  unarmed; 
  copnla- 
  

   tory 
  legs 
  very 
  long, 
  slender 
  and 
  attenuate: 
  Genus 
  Orthomorpha, 
  cosmopolitan 
  in 
  

   the 
  tropics, 
  but 
  not 
  indigenous 
  in 
  Africa. 
  

  

  Dorsum 
  strongly 
  convex, 
  the 
  carinae 
  small 
  or 
  rudimentary, 
  affecting 
  only 
  the 
  

   posterior 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  subsegment; 
  legs 
  and 
  antennae 
  long 
  and 
  slender; 
  sterna 
  

   narrow, 
  armed 
  with 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  distinct 
  conic 
  processes; 
  copulatory 
  legs 
  shorter, 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  falcate 
  and 
  complex 
  

  

  Proceedings 
  U. 
  S. 
  National 
  Museum, 
  Vol. 
  XX— 
  No. 
  1137. 
  

  

  695 
  

  

  