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SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



shortened and disappeared in a day or two, leaving 

 only circular marks as in fig. 1. This shows that 

 the mite had at that time not quite reached its 

 full development. 



I took this mite on the last day of July, and 

 found two specimens only in the gathering. One 

 of these I sent to Dr. Koenike, who pointed out to 

 me that the mite was not A. caudatus De Geer, 

 but a new species. He also sent me for comparison 

 the drawings of the mouth parts of this mite and 



Fig. 12. Fig. 13. Fig. 14. Fig. 15. 



Figs. 12 to 15. A. caudatus. 



of A. caudatus ; also the view from above, the side 

 view, and the highly magnified sketch of the end 

 of the tail. These Dr. Koenike kindly allows me 

 to use for publication. The figs. 1, 3, and 5 are 

 from drawings made by myself from the living- 

 mite ; and figs. 2 and 4 are drawings by Mr. Soar 

 from my mounted specimen. 



This mite is much smaller than A. caudatus 

 De Geer, as will be seen by the following measure- 

 ments supplied to me by Mr. Soar : — 



Length of A.geminus, 1-27 mm. ; of .4. caudatus, 1-48 mm. 

 Width of „ 0-66 mm. ; of „ 0-74 mm. 



Length of first leg of A. aeminus, 070 mm. 

 „ „ A. caudatus, 0*92 mm. 



Arrenurus soar I n.s. 



This mite was found by me in July 1898. I 

 forwarded a specimen to Mr. Soar, who considered 



Fig. lu. Fig. 17. 



Figs. 16 and 17. A. soari. 



it not to be fully developed. I have on several 

 occasions since visited the place where it was 



taken, with the intention of finding others and 

 trying to keep them alive for some time, to watch 

 possible development. I have, however, not sue* 

 ceeded in finding it again, so think it ought to be 

 put on record, as, in my opinion, it is a very distinct 

 as well as beautiful species. If Mr. Soar's figures 

 be compared with any of the Arrenuri previously 

 appearing in Science-Gossip, this will be very 



Fig. 18. A. soar). 



evident; but the difference is still more striking if 

 the mites themselves, either alive or mounted, are 

 compared. 



During life its chitinous coat is of a transparent 

 blue colour, and the circular discs of which it is 

 composed are thicker at the edges, and therefore 

 of a darker blue, than the central portion, giving 

 the mite the appearance of network. To avoid 

 loss of colour, it is well before mounting not to 

 keep the creature long in preservative solution. 

 The extremity of the last leg, near to the claws, is 

 remarkably bent — more so than is usual in most 

 other male Arrenuri. 



This mite is smaller than A. caudatus De Geer. 

 Mr. Soar gives its measurements as follows : — 

 Length, 1-12 mm. ; breadth, - 52 mm. Palpus : 

 length, 0T7 mm. Fourth leg: length, 1-28 mm. 



Arrenurus robustus Koenike. 



Described by Koenike in " Zoologischer Anzeiger," 

 No. 453, July 30th, 1894. It is extraordinarily 

 broad for its length. My specimen was taken on 

 October 8th, 1900, and kept alive until Novem- 

 ber 21st, then placed in preservative solution. Its 

 colour was brick-red with green legs. Koenike 

 says that his specimen was yellowish-green (gelblich- 

 arilri). Below the impressed curved line on the 

 back are two large dimples or hollows. Th« petiole 

 is short and chisel-shaped, rather wider at the free 

 end and slightly convex. There is a peculiarity in 

 the two curved hairs nearest to the petiole, for 

 these are recurved at the point. I have not seen 

 this feature in any other male Arrenurus, so that, 

 at least for the present, this may be considered a 



