SIB JOHN LUBBOCK ON PAUEOPUS. 179 



On Pauropus, a New Type of Centipede. By Sir John Lttb- 

 BOCK, Bart., Y.P. Linn. Soc., Pres. Ent. Soc, Y.P. Ethn. Soc, 

 E.RS., &c. 



[Eead December 6, 1866.] 



The subject of the following communication is a small, white, 

 bustling, intelligent, little creature, about gV of ^"^ inch in length, 

 and may be characterized as follows : — 



Body composed of ten segments, including the head, convex, 

 with scattered hairs. Nine pairs of legs. Antennae 5-jointed, 

 bifid at the extremity, and bearing three, long, jointed appen- 

 dages. 



The author has met with this little Centipede in some num- 

 bers, among Thysanura, &c., in his kitchen-garden. He was at 

 first disposed to regard it as a larva ; but having, during the last 

 three months, had several hundred specimens under examination 

 without finding any in a more advanced condition, and having 

 found spermatozoa in several, he thought there could be no doubt 

 that it is a mature form. 



The body is rather narrower in front. The head consists of 

 two segments ; the third segment bears one pair of legs ; the 

 fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh two pairs each. Strictly speaking, 

 however, each of these segments is double. The posterior legs 

 are the longest. Each segment, from the third to the seventh, 

 has on the side a pair of strong bristles. There are also several 

 transverse rows of short club-shaped hairs. The eyes are large 

 and oval. The antennae are very remarkable, and quite unlike 

 those of any other Myriapods. They are 5-jointed and bifid at 

 the extremity. The first four segments are short. The two 

 branches constituting the fifth are longer and unequal. One bears 

 a single appendage, the other two, long, many -jointed appendages. 

 The mouth consists of two pairs of minute organs ; the anterior 

 ones toothed, the posterior pointed. Between the second pair of 

 legs are two processes, which probably form part of the generative 

 organs. 



The author has been able to trace the development. The 

 smallest specimens met with have three pairs of legs, and the 

 number increases at each moult ; but it is remarkable that 

 whereas two pairs are acquired in the first, so that the number 

 rises from three pairs to five, at the subsequent moults a single 

 additional pair only is obtained. 



