574 : IVAR TRAGARDH 
to have a very wide distribution, the tropics when once investigated will reveal 
a great number of new forms which will make it necessary for us to remodel 
our conceptions of the system. 
The present genus is a beautiful example of the difficulties valine ly will 
confront us when exploring the acarofauna of the tropics. 
If we accept the key of the Oribatei published by SELLNICK (1929). we 
arrive through Aptyctima, Apterogasterina to Brachypylina which are charac- 
terized through the tibia. being generally much longer than the genu and more 
or less clavate. Of the nine families belonging to this group all except 7egeo- 
cranide may be eliminated. Amongst the genera of this family there are, 
however, some which in several respects resemble Cerocepheus, especially 77z- 
tegeus BERL., which in my opinion is the only one hitherto known which has any 
affinity to Cerocepheus. In both the anterolateral angles of the dorsal shield 
project as triangular projection and in both the dorsal side is covered by a 
secretion. The lamellze of Cerocepheus, on the other hand, resemble more those 
of Cepheus. 
Cerocepheus is, however, a very highly specialized form, specialized in 
two directions which may, or may not, be correlated. The cuticle of the whole 
body is covered by a layer of waxy secretion which is thicker than the animal 
itself. This explains the flattened dorsal aie of the hysterosoma, the peculiar 
long, flexible hairs, viz. interlamellar and 5 pairs of dorsal hairs of the hystero- 
soma, which are embedded in the wax add aid in its adhering to the dorsal 
surface. The great size of the pseudostigmata is another feature obviously 
connected with the presence of a thick covering of wax, because these organs 
would be quite concealed, and unable to function, if they were of the ordinary 
size. Finally the exceedingly short and feeble legs are very likely also a feature 
correlated with the wax cover. Evidently Cerocepheus is a very slow creature 
which is sufficiently protected by the covering of wax and does not need to 
run quickly in order to escape its enemies. It is in this connection of great 
interest to recall that the claws were brooken off on all legs. It is open to 
conjecture whether they were really all brooken off because they were too weak, 
or were bitten off by some enemy. 
Not less remarkable is the specialisation of the mouthparts, with the ex- 
ceptionally long mandibles with their small chela. As far as we know, more 
or less similar mandibles are to be found independently in several families or 
genera, as f.i. Pelops, Serrarius, Metrioppia and Suctobelba, which are not 
related. In Cerotegeus they resemble more those of the Uropodidz than 
anything else. It may be that further investigations will reveal in the tropics 
the presence of other related genera with similar mandibles. Then it will per- 
haps be necessary to make Cerocepheus the type of a new family, but for the 
time being I prefer to refer it to the 7egeocranide. 
Eutegzeus BERL. 
In 1908 MICHAEL described a new species, Oribata Bostocki from New 
Zealand. Although M. admitted that the species was a very remarkable 
one he did not create any new. genus for it. If he had lived to the pre- 
