Long -for gotten British Lithobius. 371 



between A and B are greater than the differences between C 

 and D. Thus by analogy we may fairly safely argue that 

 galathece is synonymous with longipes. The same line of 

 argument has convinced me, moreover, that the specimen 

 from St. Michael's Mount is specifically identical with the 

 type of pilicornis, and that Sloanei and longipes are synonyms 

 of pilicornis. 



It is not hard to find reasons why Porath and Meinert failed 

 to identify pilicornis. The fact of the type being British * 

 furnished strong grounds for the belief that Azorean and North- 

 African specimens would be distinct from it. Moreover 

 it will be remembered that Dr. Newport inadvertently 

 implied that the specimen has forty antennal segments. As 

 a matter of fact it has thirty-two and thirty-three ; and 

 why Newport should have assigned forty to the type of 

 Sloanei is unintelligible, since the only entire antenna which 

 the specimen possesses has but thirty-four. But for this 

 error the species might have been identified ; under the circum- 

 stances, however, no one can be blamed for failing to do so. 



Again, the differences which Newport has pointed out for 

 distinguishing pilicornis from Sloanei will not stand the test of 

 criticism. Thus in counting the labial teeth of pilicornis New- 

 port again fell into error ; for he asserts that there are ten, 

 whereas in reality there are the same number as in Sloanei, 

 namely eight. The difference in the shape of the head in 

 pilicornis is due to the fact that the sides of the sclerite have 

 become curled downwards during the process of drying ; and 

 the greater apparent hairiness of pilicornis is no doubt to be 

 attributed partly to the removal of the hairs in the type of 

 Sloanei and partly to the fact that they have become matted 

 to the various parts of the body ; for this specimen, Newport 

 informs us, was taken from a bottle forming part of the origi- 

 nal collection of Sir Hans Sloane. 



At the present time this type is a bleached and shrivelled 

 example, bearing a ticket numbered 4167, which is presu- 

 mably a copy of an original number affixed by Sir Hans 

 Sloane ; for a reference to the MS. catalogue of the Sloane 

 collection shows that this number refers to " a middling good- 

 sized brown Scolopendra" 



To show still further the variability of this species and to 

 follow Dr. Meinert's excellent example of furnishing others 

 with a check upon the synonymy here given, I publish the 



* Apart from Dr. Newport's statement to that effect there is no evidence 

 that the specimen is British, there being no ticket affixed to it with the 

 information. 



