1905.] BRITISH MITES OF THE P^AMILY OKIItATID/E. 565 



Fam. Oribatid^. 

 Subfam. ORIBATIN.E. 

 Gen. Oribata Latreille. 

 Oribata furcata, sp. nov. (Plate XIX. fig. 1.) 



Adult. Length 500 ;(. Colour dark brown, nearly black. 

 Surface polished. Lamellse, blades on edge with very long 

 cylindrical cusps, the whole extremity of the cusp being occupied 

 by the base of the long lamellar hair. Translamella an inverted Y. 

 Interlamellar hairs present. 



Pseudostigmatic organs long, sub-clavate, dii-ected forwards and 

 upwards. 



Pteromorphpe small. Claw^s monorlactjde. Genital and anal 

 orifices moderately far apart, shaped like the keystone of an arch ; 

 the anal considerably the larger. 



Nymph and larva unkno\\T.i. 



Two specimens found in moss from Austwick Bog, Yorkshire, 

 in May 1904. 



There is no danger of confusing this very distinct species with 

 either of the other two known British monodactyle Oribatas, 

 0. fusigera and 0. j)armellke. The first is very minute, while the 

 second has hairs on the notogaster, and short clavate pseudo- 

 stigmatic organs. 



Oribata omissa, sjj. nov. (Plate XIX. fig. 2.) 



Adult. Length 700 ^. Colour dark brown. Surface highly 

 polished and shining. Body distinctly bi-oadest in the middle. 

 Lamellae, blades on edge, with a long shai-p-pointed cusp standing 

 free, the lamellar hairs sjDringing from the inner angle of the 

 cusps. No translamella. Claws tridactyle. Not rare in moss, at 

 Cambridge. 



Nymph and larva imknown. 



We think it likely that this species has hitherto been overlooked 

 on account of its resemblance to the common and extremely 

 variable species 0. Icqndaria, and in spite of the diflferent facies, due 

 chiefly to its barrel -shaped body and polished surface (destitute of 

 a light spot), there seemed to be few clear- distinctive characters. 

 The absence of any trace of a translamella, and the sharp-pointed 

 cusps, are, however, good characteristics. Though occurring in 

 the same neighbourhood their habitat is difiierent, 0. omissa being 

 exclusively found in moss, nor have we met with any intermediate 

 forms. 



Oribata rubens C. L. Koch. 



This very distinct species occurred in Sphagnum from heath-pools 

 at Bournemouth in October 1905. It is about 500 yu in length, 

 chestnut-coloured, and with very long legs. It is now for the 

 first time recorded as Bi-itish. 



