47 



BDELLA HEXOPTHALMA QERVAIS. 



C. F. GEORGE, M.R.C.S., 



Kirton-in L indsev. 



This remarkable little mite has not, so far as is known, been 

 previously recorded as British. It is described and figured by 

 Gervais, in Walckenaer's ' Apteres,' where he states he found 

 it near Gentill5% in the neighbourhood of Paris. It differs 

 greatly in colour from all the other specimens of Bdella I have 

 met with, being yellowy verging on orange ; whilst usually 

 they are dark red. It has also six beautiful carmine-red spots, 

 called eyes — two on each side of the cephalothorax, the lenses 



Bdella hexopthalma (x26). 



of which are easily made out, and two other smaller ones on the 

 upper surface or dorsum of the cephalothorax, also described 

 as eyes, each one of which has a tactile hair near to it on its 

 outer side, as shewn in Mr. Soar's accompanying figure. In 

 other respects its anatomy appears to be very similar to the 

 ordinary Bdella, which is not uncommon in our gardens ; 

 in moss and under pieces of wood where small insects have 

 sheltered, etc. I have found it also in a deserted small bird's 

 nest. It is, I believe, Bdella vulgaris {Scirits vulgaris of Her- 

 mann). 



My specimen of B. hexopthalma was found in this neighbour- 

 hood by Messrs. Roebuck and Musham, when investigating 

 the Mollusca of the district in the last two days in August, 1911. 



K312 Feb. I. 



