308 MR. B. I. POCOCK 0]S^ SCOKPIONS 



stated lie had seen it in Eaiypt ; but such a statement is, I 

 think, not of much value. The Scorpion that Olivier described 

 as crassicauda he mentioned expressly in connection with Cachan 

 (Kashan, between Ispahan and Teheran, below the 40th parallel), 

 and the figure that he gives is presumably taken from a specimen 

 from this locality. Moreover he affirms that in addition to Persia 

 the species is met with in Baghdad and Mesopotamia (and Egypt). 

 His description is brief but concise and to the point. It may be 

 epitomised as follows : — length 3 inches ; colour brown, with legs 

 and chelge sometimes yellower; 26 pectinal teeth ; 2nd, 3rd, and 

 4th caudal segments with only 8 crests *. The figure that he 

 publishes is also fairly good, and amongst other things it shows 

 that the manus is of the thickish type with the digits short. 



In the British Museum collection there are specimens ticketed 

 Persia, Bushire, Persian Gulf, Baghdad, and Midian, which are 

 iudisputably identical with Olivier's crassicauda. The largest 

 example, a 5 from Midiau, measures 83 mm., which is just over 

 3 (French) inches, and the smallest, from the same locality, is 

 about 45 mm. In the adults of both sexes, as in citrinus, lihycus, 

 axi^ priainus, the manus is thicker than the forearm ; the colour 

 is a chocolate-brown, sometimes blackish, the tips of the legs 

 and of the digits being paler. As stated by Olivier, the median 

 lateral crest on the tail is complete only on the 1st segment, 

 being represented by 2 or 3 granules on the 2nd. I have counted 

 as many as 31 pectinal teeth on a J from the Persian Grulf, and 

 as few as 25 on a $ from Bushire. 



This species and hicolor may be recognized as follows : — 



PRIONURUS CRASSICAUDA (OZilJ.). 



Median lateral crest on 2nd and 

 3rd caudal segments represented 

 mei'cly by a posterior row of 3 or 

 4 granules. 



The intercarinal space on the sides 

 and lower surface of the tail not 

 so closely and finely granular, at 

 most sparsely so. 



Tail much narrower, e. g. 3rd seg- 

 ment only a little wider than long ; 

 aculeus shorter. 



Prionurus BicoLOR, Hempr. 8r 

 JShrenb. 



Median lateral crest on 2nd and 

 3rd caudal segments well-deve- 

 loped and extending right past 

 the middle of the segment. 



The intercarinal spaces on the sides 

 and lower surface of the tail 

 shagreened with fine granula- 

 tion. 



Tad much stouter, the width of the 

 3rd segment much greater than 

 its length ; aculeus longer. 



* Voyage dans I'Empire Othoman, etc. t. p. 172 etc., (esp. in note), pi. 42. 

 fig. 2 (1807), 8vo. 



