Neiv British Oribatidse. By A. D. Michael. 397 



largest. These woolly hairs under a high amplification are seen 

 to consist of a central stem, with very fine hairs radiating from it 

 like a fox's tail. Pseudo-stigmatic organs long, almost straight, 

 directed backward and outward, they have long rod-like peduncles 

 and fusiform heads, which are woolly like the hairs. Palpi thick, 

 almost conical, slightly projecting. The mandible (fig. 11a) is 

 small but remarkable. The fixed arm of the chela is the shorter 

 and is narrowed to a sort of neck ; it has four large teeth ; above, 

 and close to it, is a projection from the body of the mandible some- 

 what in the form of the human hand, being deeply cut into five 

 large teeth or fingers. The movable arm is more normal. Legs 

 rather short; fourth pair not reaching hind margin, gradually 

 diminished in thickness, whorls of short, woolly, curved spines on 

 the three central joints of each leg. 



Abdomen pyriform, slightly truncated anteriorly, coarsely 

 reticulated. The division ot the notogaster into four segments 

 very conspicuous ; each segment is provided with a transverse row 

 of long, colourless, serrated spines, which usually lie horizontally, 

 but can be erected, apparently, at the will of the creature ; all are 

 erected together. The spines on the second segment are the 

 shortest, and those on the third the longest. Eound the hind 

 margin are about eight short, curved, woolly hairs. 



The nymph is very like the adult, but white. 



The creature is uncommon ; the largest number that I have 

 found we're in an old thatched roof near the Land's End, but I 

 have met with single specimens occasionally in old wooden 

 boxes, &c. 



