430 On a neio Terrestrial Isopod. 



quite readily be mistaken for a species of Trichoniscus, and 

 it was only after dissection that its approximate position was 

 made clear, I have described it as a Fhiloscia^ as the oral 

 ])arts certainly agree with those found in species of that 

 genus, and the first and second pleopoda of the male are also 

 of a somewhat similar character. Further, Dr. Budde-Lund, 

 who was kind enough to give me his opinion of the 

 species, states that it very closely approaches P. couchiiy 

 Kinahan, in the structure of the mouth-parts, which are here 

 figured by Mr. Patience. The legs, however, do not increase 

 greatly posteriorly, and suggest some resemblance to those 

 of the Trichoniscida?. The antenna, as well as its three- 

 jointed flagellum with the long terminal bristle, too, does not 

 add to one's belief of any strong or true affinity with the 

 genus in question, whilst the curious structure of the uropoda, 

 especially that of the inner ramus, is decidedly puzzling. 

 F. patiencei is of further interest to us on account of its small 

 size, and it would seem that a more critical examination of 

 the constancy of generic characters in the known Philosc'ue 

 will lead, most probably, to the establishment of a new genus 

 for the reception of the species now under consideration. 



Occurrence. — As I said before, P. patiencei occurred in 

 large numbers in a hothouse of the Botanical Gardens, Kew, 

 December l'J07. It was found living under about an inch of 

 a mixture of earth and ash upon which rows of plant-pots 

 were set out ; with constant watering a kind of ooze was 

 formed beneath this layer, and P. patiencei appeared to live 

 chiefl}'' amongst this ooze and. in the damper parts of the 

 covering substance, running about like our common Tricho- 

 niscus pusillus, to which, indeed, it bears a very strong 

 resemblance in colour, shape, size, and movements, and might 

 have easily been overlooked as such. P. patiencei was not 

 found to affect plants at all, Trichoniscus stebbingi, Patience, 

 being the only woodlouse actually detected at the roots of 

 the plants in this particular hothouse. 



On examining tlie species something in its general facies 

 appealed to me as being familiar, and I remembered a few 

 examples of a puzzling form which I had found with Tricho- 

 niscus pygmoius^ 8ars, in a garden at Winlaton, Co. Durham. 

 This form was entered in my diary for October 1906 and 

 February 1907 as " Trichoniscus dilaticornis, sp. nov. ?," but, 

 as the specimens were undoubtedly immature, I put them 

 away, and they thus escaped my memory. I was very inter- 

 ested, therefore, to find upon re-examination that the species 

 was apparently conspecific with the one just described, or, at 

 least, very closely allied to it. 



