234 Mr. E. I. Pocock on the Species of 



determination of tlieir ngo, sex, and specific identity *, I liave 

 found it possible, with some degree, I hope, of exactness, to 

 identify the rich material of this genus contained in the 

 collection of the British Museum. I have added some notes 

 respecting the various species, which, I trust, may be of 

 service in their determination ; but especially do I wish to 

 draw attention to the fact that many of the specimens have 

 been obtained of late years, and are consequently furnished 

 with trustworthy and exact localities — an item of information 

 which lias been so much ignored in connexion with these 

 animals, but which will ultimately prove, I think, to be of 

 the first importance. For instance, when discussing 0. ca~ 

 petisis, apparently the commonest species of all in most 

 collections, Kraepelin says that its distribution seems to be 

 exclusively Cape Colony (Capland). This, no doubt, is 

 perfectly true ; but I cannot lay my hands upon a particle of 

 evidence that the species ranges throughout Cape Colony. It 

 appears, in fact, so far as 1 can determine at jn-esent, to be 

 restricted to a relatively narrow but undetermined area around 

 Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope ; and there is no 

 evidence known to me that any other species inhabits the 

 same spot. That many move species than at present are 

 known from specimens ticketed vaguely " S. Africa or Cape 

 Colony " will be found also to have a restricted range is, I 

 think, probable, though, on the other hand, there are some — 

 O. carinatus^ for example — that cover a wide area in distri- 

 bution. 



Opi'sthophthalmus capensis (Herbst). 



Scorpio caj)ensis, Ilerbst, Natiirg. d. Scorpione. p. C2, pi. v. fig. 2 



(ISUU), $. 

 Opisf/iophthalmus pilosus, C. Kocli, Die Arachn. iv. p. 01, Jig. o09 



(1838), S. 

 Oidsthojihthalnms maxilhstts, id. ibid, (young, teste Kraop.). 



Of this species the British Museum has twenty-three 

 examples of all ages and both sexes. It is evident that Cape 

 Town is the head-quarters of this species. How far it extends 

 to the north and east of this point I have no means of judging. 

 Cif the above-mentioned examples no fewer than fourteen are 

 ticketed Cape Town, received from R. Trimen, li. C. 

 Wroughton, Rev. G. H. R. Fiske, and II. A. Spencer; 

 while all the rest that are labelled came from the Cape of 

 Good Hope. I cannot understand Kracpelin's reasons for 



* Sec " Tvevibion dcr Scorpioiie. — II. Scorpiuiiidiv; uud Botbriurida)," 

 Jubrb lluiub. Austalteu, xi. 1, pp. 77-108, 



