334 TWO SPECIES OF PARASITIC MITES. 



cone-shaped cap of chitin supporting the terminal processes. The 

 two anterior legs on each side bear at the extremity of this latter 

 joint four curved hook-like claws, and a relatively large bell-shaped 

 sucker on a stem which, though long, is much shorter than in S. 

 scabiei. In the female the posterior legs are terminated by long 

 flexible bristles in place of suckers. In the male the third leg only 

 ends in a bristle, the fourth bearing a long-handled sucker very much 

 like that on the first and second legs. The legs articulate with and 

 are supported by the epimera, which are light brown chitinous bands 

 present in the walls of the body and extending in a general way along 

 the ventral surface from the points of insertion of the legs towards 

 the median line. Those of the front pair of legs run backwards and 

 inwards, and, a short distance behind the rostrum, unite to form an 

 elongated Y-shaped figure. The arms of the Y, however, are 

 bifurcated, the anterior branch running forward to support the 

 palps, the posterior articulating with the first leg. The second 

 epimere also runs backwai-ds and inwards for a considerable 

 distance, but befoi-e reaching the median line it takes a sharp 

 turn outwards and terminates abruptly. The third and fourth 

 epimera in the female are short and slender, running forwards 

 and inwards, and bending towards each other at their anterior 

 ends. In the male the arrangement is more complicated ; the 

 third and fourth epimera run forwards and inwards joining the 

 anterior portion of the sternite, a median chitinous band which runs 

 backwaids along the posterior portion of the ventral surface, thus 

 enclosing the male sexual organs under a sort of double arch, the 

 keystones of which are prolonged until they meet each other. 



The external sexual organs in the male are situated between the 

 points of insertion of the fourth pair of legs, and are composed 

 essentially of the three following parts : ( 1 ) the sternite, composed of 

 a chitinous band on each side of the sexual opening, which runs 

 forward and joins the one from the opposite side in front of the 

 opening and becomes continuous with the median chitinous strip 

 mentioned above ; (2) a lid or hyposternum, made up of two arched 

 bands and a connecting membrane, thus forming a triangular cover 

 hinged to the sternite at its postero-lateral angles, and with the 

 point directed forwards; and (3) a penis, which, when prone, is 

 directed forwards under the episternum and may be seen through 



