977 



Öfversigt af Kongl. Veteoskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar 1899. N:o 10. 



Stockholm. 



Some biological observations on Galeodes and Buthus. 

 ßy Dr. Einar Lönnberg. 



(Communicated 1899 December 13 by Chr. Aurivillius.) 



If we in the zoological textbooks peruse the chapter treat- 

 ing of the Solifugce, we find in most cases similar indications 

 about the nature of these aniraals as in Leunis-Ludwig »Synopsis 



der Thierkunde», II, p. 567: - — »wahrscheinlich mit Recht, 



für giftig gehalten». 1892 Mr. Henry Bernard in »Nature» 

 (N:o 1184, Vol. 46, p. 223) discusses the question as to whether 

 the Solpitgidce are poisonous or not. He quotes previous authors 

 lipon this subject and describes the jaws, claws and hairs 

 of a species of Galeodes from Tashkend, and having found 

 certain pecaliarities of structure in these organs he seems 

 inclined to believe that some kind of a poison, »a product 

 of the hypoderraal cells», is pressed through the apertures 

 which he has observed at the tips of the jaws and claws. 

 But at the end of his note Mr. Bernard leaves the question 

 open «until the question as to the poisonous nature of Galeodes 

 has been expei'imentally settled» — — — . 1897 Mr. R. I. 

 PococK in a paper »on the genera and species of Tropica! 

 African Solifugse» (Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (6) vol XX) quotes 

 letters from G. A. K. Marshall concerning the habits of diffe- 

 rent forms of Solpuc/a, one of these is said to be »quite harm- 

 less, the forceps being unable to pierce the tenderest skin», but 

 anotlier which had bitten the hand of a kafir had made it »very 



