Mr. R. L Pocock on South-African Scorpions. 37? 



LIV. — A Further Revision of the Species of Scorpions be- 

 longing to the South-African Genera Uroplectes, Lepreus, 

 and Tityolepreus *. By R. I. POCOCK, of the British 

 Museum of Natural History. 



The distinctions between the genera Lepreus, Uroplectes, and 

 Tityolepreus, based upon the dentition of the digits of the 

 chela3, depends, firstly, upon the number of enlarged teeth 

 (whether 0, 1, or 2) at the apex of the median rows ; secondly, 

 upon the position taken up by the teeth of the internal row 

 with regard to the apices of the median series f. 



Perhaps the simplest form of dentition is found in such 

 species of Lepreus as planimanus, Karsch, carinatus, Poc, 

 and variegatus, C. Koch, where none of the apical teeth of 

 the median rows are enlarged and the teeth of the inner series 

 are throughout the dental area only separated by a small 

 space from the extremities of the median rows and form 

 transverse series with the two enlarged teeth, constituting the 

 posterior termination of the median rows. But the position 

 varies a little in the species named, the inner teeth being 

 further forward in planimanus and carinatus, so that the short 

 transverse rows are oblique, and a little further back in 

 variegatus, the transverse rows being more angular. To this 

 section belongs, in all probability, the type of the genus 

 Lepreus, L. pilosus, Thor., which is unfortunately unknown 

 to me in nature. 



The second type of dental formula to be noticed occurs in 

 such species as vittatus and Fischeri, which were also referred 

 to Lepreus ; but the formula here is very different, the 

 teeth of the inner set being separated by a wider space from 

 the middle rows than in L. planimanus, and in the posterior 

 five sixths of the digit the individual teeth of the inner series 

 lie well behind the apex of the corresponding median row, so 

 that they alternate with the pair of enlarged teeth of the outer 

 set, instead of forming short oblique transverse rows with 

 them. Considerable difference, however, in the position taken 

 up by the inner teeth is observable, the teeth lying much 



* Collectors and others in South Africa who are not acquainted with 

 the generic characters of Scorpions may usually readily recognize the 

 species belonging to this group by their small or medium size, tolerably 

 slender build, thin claws, and bright colouring, most of the species being 

 variegated with black and yellow spots or stripes, though sometimes the 

 body approaches a uniform bright green or even black. 



t For the sake of clearness I am considering in this instance that the 

 teeth of the inner series have arisen independently from those forming 

 the median series. 



Ann. (& Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 6. Vol. xvii. 27 



