286 Mr. R. I. Pocock on the Genus Theatops. 



segmento postremo maximo elongate quadrato lateribus rotun- 

 dato medio profunde sulcato margine posteriore transverso, pedi- 

 bus postremis brevibus crassis rotundatis atteniiatis ; articulo 

 basali brevissimo conico. Long. nnc. ■^. 



^^ Hah. In Georgia Floridaque Oriental! (v. in Mus. Brit.). 



"The mandibles are short, thick, and have a distinct basal 

 tooth ; the dental plates are elongated and widely separated ; 

 the teeth eight, minute but distinct. The basal joint of the 

 posterior pair of legs much shorter than the second, which is 

 twice as long as the succeeding joints. The lateral anal 

 appendages deeply punctured. Preanal scale flat, with a 

 median longitudinal sulcus and scattered punctures, with the 

 margin stiaight." 



It will be noticed at once from a perusal of these two 

 descriptions (1) that the statements of Say and Newport con- 

 cerning the labial teeth are absolutely contradictory ; (2) that 

 Newport can scarcely be called consistent in applying to the 

 same features two words so different in meaning as "distinct " 

 and "inconspicuous;" and (3) that although the latter author 

 asserts that Theatops approaches Crypto2)Sj yet, to judge from 

 his description of it, the former genus is more nearly allied 

 to other genera of Scolopendridaj (e. g. Cormocephalus) than 

 it is to Cry^ytops. 



In our treatment of this genus there are two obvious alter- 

 natives before us — to conclude (1) that the specimen described 

 by Say was ditFerent from the specimen described by New- 

 port, or (2) that one of or both these authors gave erroneous 

 descriptions of the same specimen. 



Now, in addition to the discrepancies existing between the 

 two descriptions, it may be urged in favour of the first alter- 

 native that the only evidence to show that the specimen in 

 the British Museum is Say's type is Newport's assertion to 

 that effect, and the presence upon the pin transfixing this 

 specimen of a ticket upon which is written in Dr. Leach's 

 handwriting " Cryj)tops posticus, Say, N. America." 



Each naturalist must form his own opinion as to the value 

 of this evidence, and small blame can be attached to one who 

 trusting to the accuracy of Say as a describer prefers to 

 regard the ^^ posticus " of that author as a species of the genus 

 Cryptops. But if this be so the type specimen has disap- 

 peared, and no American collector has, so far as I know, come 

 across a form agreeing with the description of it. 



Taking, then, these last facts into consideration it will cer- 

 tainly greatly simplify matters if the second alternative be 



