On African Specimens of the Genus Scorpio. 245 



sculptured, and readily distinguished by the elongate channel 

 on the thorax. It has evidently, like its European ally, the 

 curious habit of covering itself with grains of sand or earth. 

 Sapporo, Japan. Taken abundantly in August 1880. 



List of Species. 



Elmomorplius brevicornis, n. ep. I Stenelmis foveicollis, ScMnfeldt. 

 Leptelmis gracilis, n. sp. | Georyssus canalifer, n. sp. 



XXXII. — On the African Syecimens of the Genus Scorpio 

 (Linn.) contained in the Collection of the British Museum. 

 By R. I. POCOCK, Assistant, Nat. Hist. Museum. 



It is much to be regretted that there exists amongst arachno- 

 logists considerable difference of opinion with respect to the 

 generic nomenclature of those Scorpions (and their allies) 

 which form the subject-matter of the present paper ; and it is 

 the desire to see the uniform adoption of certain names that 

 urges me to venture upon a few remarks on the question. 



Amongst the species of Scorpio described by Linngeus, there 

 are two which at the present moment claim our special atten- 

 tion ; these are Sc. africanus and Sc. maurus. Of these two, 

 the latter was re-named palmatus by Ehrenberg, and placed, 

 in conjunction with another species named spinifer^ in the 

 genus Heterometrus of that author. 



Now Dr. Thorell, wishing to abolish Scorpio as a generic 

 name, substituted Pandinus in its place, and kept as the type 

 of Pandinus a W.-African Scorpion, which he believed to be 

 the africanus of Linnaeus. And further, believing maurus 

 (Linn.) to be generically distinct from Pandinus, he reserved 

 for its reception the genus Heterometrus, a name which, as 

 stated above, had been given to it aspalmatus by Ehrenberg. 

 Spinifer, Ehrenberg's second species of Heterometrus, Thorell 

 placed in a new genus Palamnceus, distinct from both Hetero- 

 metrus and Pandinus. 



Dr. Karsch, on the other hand, keeps the generic name 

 Scorpio, and regards maurus (Linn.) as the type of it ; and, 

 agreeing with Thorell respecting the generic separation of 

 maurus, africanus, and spinifer, he refers africanus to the 

 genus Pandinus, and makes spinifer the type of Hetero- 

 metrus. 



Yet a third view is held by M. E. Simon, who restores for 

 africanus the name Scorpio, and makes Pandinus synonymous 



