SG2 Mr. R. T. Pocoek on ihe 



Plate XV. 

 J'^itj. 1. Luffariella geometrica, sp. n. 



a. Natural size. 



b. Section, X 10. 



c. Dermal skeleton, X 25. 

 Fig. 2. Poli[/ibrospongm Srveeti, sp. n. 



a. Natural size. 



b. Section, X 25. 



c. Wall of oscular tubs, x lo. 



cl. Bundle of fibres teased out, x 250. 

 Fig. 3. Chondropsis cerato>-iis, sp. n. 



a. Skeletal network, X 25. 



b. Sigmata, X 125. 

 r. O.xeum, X 125. 



XT..1V. — The Scorpions of the Oenus Heteroraetrus. 

 By R. I. POCOCK. 



Prof. Kraepelin (Das Tierr., Scorp. p. 124, 1899) re- 

 cognizes, under the name Scorpio *, two species of the genus 

 Heterometrus^ namely maurus and Boehmi, a form referred on 

 the authority ot" Birula to testaceus of C. Koch, from Syria, 

 being regarded as doubtfully distinct. To the synonymy of 

 maurus is added ^j>a^?72«/us of Ehrenberg and propinquus of 

 Simon, the latter being qualified with a mark of interrogation. 

 An examination of the material at my disposal has led me 

 to conclusions by no means in accord with those contained in 

 * Tierreich.' H. Boehmi and FI. propinquus are unknown 

 to me ; but including the latter 1 recognize the following 

 four species as occurrmg in the area inhabited, according to 

 Prof. Kraepelin, by the one form maurus: — 



(1) IJeterometrus maurus (Linn.). 



Scorpio 7naunis, Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. 10, p. 624 (1758). 

 Buthiis testaceuf, C. Koch, Die Arachn. v. p. 3, fig. 259 (1839). 

 Scorpio maurus, Kraepelin, Das Tierr., Scorp. etc. p. 124 (1899) (in 

 part.). 



* The system, if any, of determining- the type species of genera, which 

 is adopted by Prof. Kraepelin, and presumably sanctioned by the Tier- 

 reich-Conimittee, is most puzzlino-. By elimination maurus is not the 

 type species of Scorpio^ siune it was removed from that genus imder the 

 nAisie palmatushy Ilemprich and Ehrenberg and fi.ved on to Heterometrns 

 by Thorell (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) xvii. p. 2, 187(3). If it be regarded 

 as the type of Scorpio on the strength of standing first under that heading 

 in the 10th edition of the ' Sy.stema,' it must fur the same reason be 

 regarded as the type of Ueterometrus. In that case Heterometrus must 

 be a synonym of Scorpio. I'ruf. Kraepelin, however, retains by elimina- 

 tion the name Heterometrus fr)r the second species it originally contained, 

 namely spini/er. 



