134 MR. A. D. MICHAEL ON UNKECORDED 



Unrecorded Acari from New Zealand. 

 By A. D. Michael, F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.R.M.S., &c. 



(Plates 17-21.) 



[Read 7th November, 1907.] 



My friend the late Edwin Bostock, of Tixal near Stafford, at his death, left a 

 considerable collection of Acari, chiefly Oribatidse, both British and foreign. 

 The British collection has already been fully dealt with, but there has not 

 hitherto been any attempt made to describe or illustrate the foreign species. 

 The most important portion of these preparations consists of specimens from 

 New Zealand ; they are wholly Oribatidse with the exception of two specimens 

 of Gamasidse, both most remarkable creatures. Failing health and other 

 causes prevented Mr. Bostock from attempting to publish any account of the 

 novelties contained in this collection during his life, but he bequeathed the 

 collection to me. Unfortunately, other engagements and difficulties have 

 delayed my giving them up to the present time the attention which they 

 deserved. 



Mr. Bostock was an admirable collector and preserver of Acari, and I have 

 often had occasion to thank him for assistance in my former work ; he also 

 had a remarkable power of interesting others in his pursuits, and obtaining 

 their help at times when and in places where he could not personally carry on 

 his collecting. The present gathering was made partly by Mr. Bostock 

 himself during visits to New Zealand, and partly by Mr. J. W. Baker and 

 other residents in that country, whose assistance in collecting Mr. Bostock 

 secured. The collection is decidedly the finest of extra-European Oribatidse 

 which I have yet seen. Of course a large portion of it consists of species 

 which do not depart in any marked manner from their nearest European 

 allies : this is only what might be expected looking at the very wide distri- 

 bution of Acarine species and genera, either identical or very closely allied ; 

 but amongst them are seven or eight very remarkable species which are well 

 worth recording, and I think that, looking at my own age and other engage- 

 ments, it is most prudent to do so in the present paper rather than to wait 

 until every specimen, whether of special interest or not, can be fully 

 worked out. 



I have often remarked in former papers that the few species of Oriba- 

 tidse with which we are at present acquainted from tropical countries are 

 usually of smaller size and less striking appearance than those which are 

 found in more temperate parts of the world. The collection which forms the 

 subject of this paper is a very good example of this : the analogy of the climate 

 of New Zealand to that of Grreat Britain has often been remarked upon, and 



