Species of Tropical African Solifuge. 271 
I take this opportunity of publishing the description of a 
new species, apparently belonging to the genus Blossia, one 
of the Solpuginee :-— 
Blossia rufescens, sp.n. (Figg. 3-3 a.) 
6. Colour of mandibles, head-plate, and abdominal terga a 
rich purplish brown; palpi, with the exception of the basal 
half of the femur, of the same colour; first and second legs 
almost entirely pale yellow, slightly infuscate at the ex- 
tremity of the femora; femur, tibia, and proximal end of 
protarsus of third and fourth legs also purplish brown; the 
entire lower surface of the body, as well as the cox and tro- 
chanters of all the appendages and the tarsi of the legs, clear 
pale yellow. 
The entire upperside of the body and limbs covered with 
a coating of very short, close-set, usually erect stiff hairs ; 
the lower side of the abdomen clothed with longer silky 
white hairs. The ocular tubercle furnished with thick pale- 
coloured bristles ; similar bristles present on the sides of the 
head-plate and on its upper surface in small numbers, on 
the upperside of the mandible, and on the sides of the thoracic 
and anterior abdominal terga. 
Mandibles elongate, somewhat as in Cleobis, the stridu- 
lating-ridges long and strong; the lower fang armed with 
three teeth, the median of which is small; the upper armed 
with eleven sharp teeth, the third from the apex being small, 
the outer series at the base of the mandible composed of 
three teeth ; flagellum membranous, its margins curled over, 
pointed posteriorly (fig. 3). 
Palpi long and stout, much longer than the third leg, its 
trochanter armed above with a few spines; femur spinous 
internally at the apex ; tibia and protarsus armed below with 
two rows of short spines. Legs with their trochanters 
spinous above; the femora with a few short scattered spinules; 
tibie and protarsi, except of the first leg, also spiny ; claws 
of the first leg long; all the tarsi one-jointed, curved. 
Second abdominal segment with two clusters of four or 
five bacilliform hairs, one cluster on each side of the stigmatic 
apertures. 
Measurements in millimetres.—Total length 19; length of 
mandible 4, of palp 19, of first leg 11°5, of second 10, of 
third 13, of fourth 24. 
Loc. Shaik Othman near Aden (type), also Aden. Two 
examples obtained by Colonel Yerbury in the winter of 
1894-95. 
