2'26 On a Terrestrinl Isopod from Neio Zealand. 



into a very perfect ball, like the species of Armadillo^ buf, to 

 iudge from the dried specimen, there is considerable flexibility 

 in the body-segments. 



The head is short and is somewhat sunk into the broad 

 first thoracic segment. The latter is somewhat broader than 

 the succeeding segments when the body is flattened out, but 

 when naturally arched it appears nearly twice as broad, owing 

 to its flanges standing out horizontally, while the others are 

 placed more vertically to their respective segments. Down 

 each side of the median line of the back is a row of erect 

 conical or somewhat curved spines, two on each segment. 

 The last pair on the posterior thoracic segment are large and 

 obtuse, and are produced backwards. On each side of these 

 spines are two rows of somewhat acute elongated curved 

 plates or carinse, one on each segment, while outside of them, 

 but within the flange-like epimera, are two or three rows of 

 tube] cles. On the head are t\\ o median spines, outside of which 

 two nearly square plates project forward ; below the outer 

 angles of these are placed the compound eyes. The abdo- 

 men also bears numerous conical processes, produced back- 

 wards, which, when viewed from above, appear like spines. 

 Tlie margins of the head, thoracic segments, and posterior 

 abdominal segments are produced into flange-like processes ; 

 that of the first thoracic segment is very large and broad, 

 while the succeeding ones increase in width from the second to 

 the seventh. 



The first pair of antennse are veiy minute and are 2- (?3-) 

 jointed ; the second pair are wanting. Owing to the defec- 

 tive condition of the specimen the mouth-parts could not be 

 made out. Tlie legs are very feebly developed and, so far as 

 1 could make out, appear to want the dactylos. The last seg- 

 ment of the abdc'men terminates in a nearly square extremity, 

 and the last pair of abdominal appendages barely reach to the 

 end of this. These appendages have the outer branch some- 

 what broadened at one third of their distance from the base, 

 and the outer side produced into a long process rounded at the 

 end. The inner branch, which is much shorter, is articulated 

 in the deep sinus of the outer joint ; it is tipped by a minute 

 jointed seta. The opercular plates on the underside of the 

 abdomen are somewhat acutely triangular. 



1 know of no terrestrial Isopod so remarkably sculptured as 

 this specimen, nor is it easy to assign any function to this 

 singular ornamentation. For progression among dead leaves 

 and other debris of a forest its projecting points and plates 

 would appear to be ill-adapted. 



