THE 



GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE. 



No. XCIX.— SEPTEMBER, 1872. 



<D:ElXG-XlSrj^JL, -.FISTIC LIES. 



I. — On a New Aeachnide feom the Coal-measures of 



Lancashike. 



By Henry Woodward, F.G.S., F.Z.S., 



Of the British Museum. 



(PLATE IX.) 



IT is now twelve montlis since I had the pleasure to record, in the 

 pages of this Jotjknal, the discovery of Eoplirynus Prestvicii, a 

 new genns of Arachnides from the Coal-measures of Dudley. (See 

 Geol. Mag., 1871, Vol. VIIL, p. 385, PL XL) This remarkably 

 perfect specimen is perhaps unequalled in the condition of its pre- 

 servation by any Palfeozoic fossil known. Although the fossil 

 Arachnide, which forms the subject of this notice, cannot claim such 

 distinction as Eoplirynus, yet it is well deserving of being placed 

 on record in the pages of this Magazine, as a new genus of air- 

 breathers from the English Coal-measures. 



A short time since I received, through the kindness of Mr. Thomas 

 Birtwell, of Gawthorpe Gardens, Padiham, Lancashire, a series of 

 very interesting Crustacean remains from the Ironstone of the Coal- 

 measures of that county. 



My attention was especially directed to two specimens marked by 

 Mr. Birtwell as " parts of the body of a beetle," which I perceived 

 upon examination to be the remains of an Arachnide. 



The most perfect specimen (which measures 16 millimetres in 

 length, and 7 mill, in greatest breadth) exposes the entire surface 

 of the body, save that the anterior cephalic portion adheres to the 

 intaglio half of the mould, whilst the relievo exhibits the bases of 

 four pairs of limbs, and a pair of palpi, less distinctly seen, 

 arranged in a semicircle, with their wedge-shaped basal joints 

 directed towards the centre. 



Next follow four extremely narrow, nearly straight, (thoracic) 

 segments, with slightly rounded borders ; succeeded by thi-ee large 

 (abdominal) segments, these last forming together nearly half the 

 entire length of the body, and having a well-defined double margin 

 with two slightly raised and nearly parallel lines, which traverse 

 them in a longitudinal direction, and di^nde the inner part of each 

 segment into three parts. The three segments contract rapidly in 

 breadth backwards, so that the third and most posterior segment, 



VOL. IX. — NO. XCIX. 25 



