AETHJIOPOD FAUNA OP THE WEST INDIES. 455 



But considering that tlie species o£ Scolopendra, Bhysida, Oto- 

 cryptops, Scolopocryptops, one of the species of Neioportia, not 

 to mention three of the species of Greophilidae, are found also on 

 the mainland, it seems highly probable that the others, which 

 are so far only known to be West Indian, will ultimately prove 

 to have a wide range in the northern parts of the Neotropical 

 llegion. 



Seeing that the species of Scolopendra occurring in North and 

 Central America appear to be mostly well known, and that few 

 new ones of unquestionable genuineness have been for some years 

 recorded from the northern parts of South America, it is not likely 

 • — if one may venture to conjecture on such a point — that many 

 new species of this genus will be brought to light in the 

 West Indies. But with the genera that do not attain the dimen- 

 sions of this last, sucli as Cryptops and the Geophilidae, it must 

 be far otherwise. It would indeed be the height of absurdity 

 with our at present fragmentary knowledge on the point, to 

 guess at the numbers of new species, and probably also new 

 genera of Geophilidae that could be discovered with a little diligent 

 collecting. 



A marked peculiarity in the West-Indian Chilopod fauna is 

 the apparent absence of representatives of the family Lithobiidse. 

 That the genus Lithohius, however, does in reality not occur in 

 these islands seems improbable ; for it is exceedingly abundant 

 in both North America and Mexico, and is not unknown in Brazil. 

 It is much to be hoped that collectors in these ifslands will keep 

 their eyes open for this Centipede. 



Tbe families that are at present known from the West Indies 

 may be readily recognized as follows : — 



a. With only 15 pairs of legs ; the legs extremely 



long and with multi-articulated tarsi; tracheae 



opening upon the tergites ; eyes compound .... Scutigerid^. 



b. "With from 21 to over 100 pairs of legs ; legs short, 



and with mostly simple tarsi; tracheal stigmata 

 opening beneath the terga ; eyes absent, or 

 formed of simple ocelli. 

 a^. With from 21-23 pairs of legs; many of the 



somites without stigmata ScolopendridjE. 



b^ . With over 30 pairs of legs ; a stigma found on 

 each side of all the somites except the first 

 and last; eyes always absent Geophilid/e, 



