Species of Tropical African Solifugae. 2G3 



Solpuga Parkinsoui, sp. n. (Fig- ^0 



Colour. Caraj)acc, linibs, niaiulibles, &c. a uniform ochre- 

 yellow, only the ocular tubercle black. 



Closely related to S. Kct/serli/igii, Poc. {foe. cit. p. 86), 

 from which it difrt-rs hardly in anythini^ apart from the form 

 of the lla;i;elluin. In Kinscrliiujii the tiagellum is abruptly 

 curved backwards from the base, then passes as a nearly 

 straight rod upwards and backwards, becoming slenderer at 

 the tip, which is delicate, sinuate, and curved downwards ; 

 in the middle of its length it is finely serrate below, the serra- 

 tion showing as a row of fine teeth on the outer edge of the 

 upper surface* (fig. 8). In S. Parkinsoni, on the contrary, 

 the flageljnm is less abruptly curved backwards, rising nearly 

 vertically from the basal jiortion and passing backwards with 

 a bold curve, the apex being downcurved and lamellar, while 

 the serration takes the form of a denticulate crest passing 

 from the anterior convex side of the fia<iellum to its inner 

 edge, the flagellum being somewhat strongly geniculate in the 

 posterior filth of its length. 



Measurements in viillimetres. — Total length 43, length of 

 mandible 1(»"3 ; width of head 8, of ocular tubercle 2*5; 

 length of palp 43, of fourth leg 60, of tibia of palp 14, of its 

 tarsus and protarsus 13"5, of fourth les: 12"0. 



Loc. '' Gol Addeh (3000 feet alt.), Hf miles to the S.W. 

 of Arregir, which lies at the foot of the Burdab range of hills, 

 lat. 9° iO' 16" N., long. 46° 10' 35" E., in Somaliland." 



]\Ir. Parkinson has kindly furnished the following notes 

 respecting the habits of this Solpuga and of a specimen of 

 Galeodes arahs which he obtained at Arregir : — " About 8 P.M., 

 as I was adjusting the theodolite to take the observations 

 which determined the above position [i. e. of Arregir], I heard 

 a slight noise as of a mouse scuttling about, and upon turning 

 the lantern in the direction of the sound saw the spider 

 \_G. arahsl, which, upon my attempting to approach, darted 

 some three yards away witli a velocity difficult to follow with 

 the eye. After repeating this manoeuvre several times, it 

 stopped in a hollow between three stones, and was secured. 

 I have only seen these animals on stony ground at the base of 

 these hills, and they may be. heard at night as I have 



• N.B. — In the figure of the mandible and flafrellum of this species 

 published on pi. iv. fig. o of Ann. & Ma?. Nat. Hist. (G) xvi. (1895), 

 the flagellum lies too close to the upperside of the mandible and the 

 teoth of the fang are too large, the terminal fang being not sutficiently 

 prolonged. Moreover, in the description no mention is made of the 

 serration of the flagellum. 



