214 BRITISH SPECIES OF FALSE-SCORPIONS. 



Mons. Simon describes a species under the name OUsium mus- 

 corum (Leach), in his Araneides de France, torn. 7, p. 54, and 

 has kindly sent me types of it. After a careful examination of 

 the types of Leach's species, in the British Museum, and com- 

 parison of them with those received from M. Simon, as also 

 with both British and French types of Obisium simile (L. 

 Koch, Sim.), it appears to me pretty certain that Leach's 

 types belong to the latter (0. simile, Sim.) ; although my examina- 

 tion has not been as satisfactory as could be desired owing to 

 Leach's specimens being in a dry and more or less shrivelled 

 state. Leach's name, therefore 0. muscorum takes precedence 

 of 0. simile ; and 0. muscorum, Simon, must have its name 

 changed. Whether we have this last species in Britain or not is 

 very doubtful. M. Simon has, indeed, so named some very young 

 British examples I sent to him for identification ; but after careful 

 comparison I believe them to be only immature specimens of 

 0. muscorum, Leach. The two species are very closely allied, 

 and I hesitate to record the latter as British, until the occurrence 

 of adult examples proves its belonging to our fauna. 



OBISIUM SYLVATICUM. PL B, fig. 7. 



Syn : Obisium sylvaticum (C. L. Koch). Die. Arachn. x., 

 p. 61, tab. 343, fig. 794. 



Length 1J lines. 



An example of what I believe to be this species was kindly sent 

 to me by Mr. Beulah, of Kaventhorpe, Brigg, Lincolnshire. It 

 was found near Chingford, in Epping Forest, several years ago, 

 and had been somewhat unskilfully prepared and mounted as an 

 object for the microscope ; hence its examination has not been 

 as easy as might have been wished, especially in regard to its 

 colours. It is, however, very distinct from either of our other 

 known British species. It may be at once distinguished from 

 0. muscorum (Leach) by the less curved, shorter palpi, and the 

 far more robust bulb of the pincers, whose fixed claw is also no 

 more than equal in length to the bulb. The cubital joint is rather 



