J. MURRAY 



or shown in the figures. The paired plates meet in the middle line only close to the 

 anterior border, and gape behind. A pair of plates, showing the gap, is figured 

 among Canadian Tardigrada below (Plate XX. Fig. 51). 



Echiniscus velaminis, sp. n. (Plate XV. Fig. 6) 



Specific characters. Size moderate ; plates nine, two pairs, two median, surface 

 with fine irregular pits, very large on the last (lumbar) plate ; c, d, and e are setae, 

 d shorter, e very long ; dorsal setse over c and d ; fringe of few large blunt processes ; 

 claws all without barbs. 



General description. Length 270 ^ seta a 75 n, c 125 /x, d 80 M , e 250 /* ; setee d 

 has sometimes a short curved spine at its base. None of the plates has the surface 

 markings interrupted by lines or bands. The markings are fine on all the plates 

 except the last, where they are very coarse. They are very unequal in size, and look 

 like perforations. The teeth of the fringe are very few in number (5 or 6), and 

 are large and very obtuse. There is a blunt palp at the base of the fourth leg. 



Habitat. Among mosses from the Nun's Veil Mountain, Mount Cook district, 

 elevation about 6000 feet ; collected by Dr. Mackay. 



Remarks. E. velaminis belongs to that group of species which have segments V. 

 and VI. (Kichters) united, and which possess one or more long lateral setae in 

 addition to the one (a) at the base of the head, which is present in all known species. 

 Though there are no species in that group so near as to require careful discrimination, 

 it will be necessary to compare it with a considerable number of species, many of 

 which are very insufficiently described. Several species have the same number of 

 lateral setae, but they are differently arranged, and there are other distinctions. 

 E. testudo has the setae a, b, c, and e, the dorsal setae over c is lacking, and the 

 " fringe " has many smaller teeth. E. blumi has'setae a, b, c, and d, and the outer 

 claws are barbed. E. crassus has setae a, b, c, and d, e is a blunt process, the fringe 

 has small blunt teeth, and the surface is coarsely granular. E.filamentosus has setre 

 a, b, c, and e (as in testudo), and on each side, according to Plate, two dorsal spines 

 over the second and one over the third leg. E. muscicola has setae also, a, b, c, and e, 

 and there is a long dorsal seta over c, but none over d. 



Several species have one lateral seta more than velaminis, besides other differences. 

 E. creplini has small spines near the bases of setae b, c, and d ; E. quadrispinosus and 

 E. scrofa have some of the plates sub-divided, and the fringe with many sharp teeth. 



A number of species have one seta less than velaminis, and differ in other respects. 

 E. bellermanni has small spines at the postero-lateral angles of the segments ; 

 E. merokensis has the outer claws barbed ; E. longispinosus lacks seta e, and has the 

 fringe of slender spines ; E. meridionalis has d a spine, and a dorsal spine over it ; 

 E. granulatus has the dots real granules. 



The forked or double seta of velaminis is reminiscent of E. aculeata (23), but 



