BihUograplikal Notices. 301 



logist ought to have seen even without reference to the explanation. 

 There is consequently not the slightest vestige of the alleged con- 

 fusion on Schiodte's part ; and the Latin description of S. fcenaria 

 comprises evidently both sexes, which, apart from the ordinary sexual 

 differences expressly referred to, are exactly alike. Nor can there 

 be much doubt, if Count Keyserhng's description be correct, that his 

 specimens from Lessina belong not to S. tcenaria as he thinks, but to a 

 new and different species. Count Keyser ling's new account oiStalita 

 is therefore only calculated to create considerable confusion ; and his 

 considerations on the relations of Stalita to other genera are not 

 without grave errors. He says, for instance, that Stalita differs from 

 Di/sdera by having three foot-claws, and by the palpi of the female 

 terminating in a claw. But neither Stalita nor any other genus of 

 Arthropoda has really three claws, though the claw-shaped onychium 

 may give it such an appearance at first sight, as remarked by Schiodte 

 in his first memoir ; in Dysdera the onychium is soft, round, and 

 haiiy. Nor does the female Dysdera lack a terminal claw on its 

 palpi, though Count Keyserling may have overlooked it. The last- 

 named author also mentions as remarkable that the patellte are much 

 elongated in Stalita, the fact being, however, on the contrary, that, 

 Avhilst all the other parts of the limbs are much elongated in Stalita, 

 the patellae do not participate in this modification, but remain com- 

 paratively short ; and it is by way of showing the reason of this 

 circumstance that Prof, Schiodte enters upon the general considera- 

 tions above quoted. 



The family of Geophili is easily distinguished from the other fami- 

 lies of Chilopoda ; but, although there is in reality no lack of good 

 distinctive characters for genera and species, the attempts hitherto 

 made at a natural classification of its contents have not been suc- 

 cessful ; and the authors of the paper on Danish Geophili (iv. p. 81), 

 Dr. Meinert and Dr. Bergstie, have been able to siiggest very con- 

 siderable improvements. We refer for details to their Latin diagnoses ; 

 but some general remarks may not be unacceptable. They derive 

 good systematic characters not only from the organs of the mouth 

 (with regard to which they follow Savigny's nomenclature), but also 

 from the composition of the head. For species living more on the 

 surface, firmer and more completely chitinized integuments are ne- 

 cessary than for those which are constantly hidden under stones, 

 ftillen leaves, &c, : accordingly it is found that in some the skull- 

 consists of one piece only, but in others it is divided into two pieces, 

 a crown piece and a smaller front piece. Generally the posterior 

 margin of the skuU reaches the tergum of that segment which car- 

 ries the second pair of maxillary feet (segmentum basilare, Newport), 

 and even covers the anterior margin of that segment ; so that the 

 tergum of the intervening segment, which carries the first pair of 

 maxillary feet, is entirely hidden from view. But in Scolioplanes, 

 a new genus, this generally hidden segment is quite free, and its 

 tergum even di\-ided into two plates more or less widely distant 

 from one another. The number of the legs is a useful character, 

 though it varies within certain limits. In males the averit^e num- 



