120 DE. J. E. T. AITCHISON ON THE ZOOLOGY OF 



lateral margins, the anterior thirteen or fourteen with simple unraised lateral margins. 

 The first dorsal plate not marked with a transverse groove. The last dorsal plate marked 

 with a median longitudinal sulcus. 



The ventral plates, except the first and last, hisulcate ; the last with slightly converging 

 lateral margins, rounded posterior angles, and straight posterior margin ; not marked 

 with central sulcus or depression. 



Anal pleurae somewhat coarsely punctured, and furnished with a spine on the posterior 

 margin near the dorsal plate ; pleural process well developed, furnished with three 

 stronger spines at the apex, and with two or one weaker spine nearer the hase. 



Femora of all the legs, except those of the 21st somite, unarmed ; first tarsal segment 

 of all the legs, except those of the 20th and 21st somites, armed with a spur ; claws of all 

 the legs, except those of the 21st somite, furnished distally with two spurs. 



Femora of anal legs furnished with from 15 to 23 spines, not including those of the 

 process. But since these spines vary hoth in number and position in the two specimens 

 examined and upon the two sides of either of the specimens, their arrangement is, in this 

 case, of hut little specific value. Femoral process short, obtuse, and armed at the apex 

 with from 2 to 5 spines. 



Patella of anal leg unarmed. 



Length of larger specimen 57 millim. 



Two specimens of this species were taken, between Hari-rud valley and Meshed, 

 Afghanistan. 



In the collection of the British Museum there is a specimen from Bussora in which 

 the spines of the anal femora are fewer in number and more regularly arranged than in 

 the Afghan specimens. Their arrangement may be thus described, regarding them as 

 set in longitudinal series : — 2 . 3 on the upper inner margin, 1 in the posterior portion of 

 the inner surface, 4 or 3 in an irregular line upon the under inner margin, 3 . 2 on the 

 under outer. 



12. Himantaritjm teeniatum (Meinert). (Plate XIII. fig. 8.) 



Himantarium teeniatum, Meinert, Vidd. Medd. nat. Foreu. 188G, p. 149. 

 Geophilus barbaricus, Newport, Trans. Linn. Soc. xix. p. 437 (1845). 

 Nee G. bai-baricus, Gervais, Mag. Zool. ix. pi. 133. fig. 3 (1835). 



Between Hari-rud valley and Meshed. One specimen. 



Dr. Newport appears to have fallen into error in refei'ring to G. barbaricus (Gerv.) a 

 specimen of Geophilus belonging to the British Museum. For Gervais (Apteres, iv. 

 p. 325), when speaking of his species, says : — " Le dessous sans pore secreteur median et 

 marque pyres de son bord externe d'vne simple ligne longitudinale." But the specimen 

 named by Newport has a conspicuous median porous area on each sternite (with the excep- 

 tion of the first and last), and, in addition, upon some of them a well-marked elliptical 

 depression, which could scarcely have escaped Gervais's attention. In fact, the specimen 

 named Geopjhihis barbaricus by Newport agrees well with the description of a sjiecimen 

 named Himantarium teeniatum by Meinert, and I have consequently no doubt that the 

 two are specifically identical. 



