iS 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Male. — Is a little smaller than female, and has no 

 marked ditlerence, except in the genital plates 

 (fis- t), which have a fringe of hairs all round the 

 mar^n. 



Localities. — Common everj'where. I think it one 

 of the most abundant mites we have in Britain. It is 



piece of chiiin, which nearly nieuls in the centre : 

 but in fig. 5 the corresponding plates are curved in 

 the opposite direction. In identification this is the 

 first point to look for, and is very important ; the two 

 mites being nearly the same size and similar in 

 colour. 



Fig- 4- 



Lirnncsia Jitstrhiiicn, 

 Fig. I. — \"entr.al Surface of Feuiale. V\g. 2 — Ge.nitai- Pi.ates axo Epimera. 



Fig. 4. — Ge.nitai. Plate of Male. 



Fie. 



^Palpi of Female. 



found in all the ponds fcJimd the outskirts of London. 

 I met with them on the Norfolk Broads, and Mr. 

 Tavemer hassent mea la-rge number from Scotland. 

 Mr. Halbert has found them in Ireland. 



II. — Linmesia macidata Miiller, 1776. 



Female. — Body : Similar in shape to /.. his- 

 Irionica, in fact all the members of this genus are 

 ver}- much alike as regards form. So much is ihis 

 the case that another figure is not necessary. Fig. i 

 gives a general idea of the structure of all the species. 

 Length about 1.50 mm. ; breadth 1.22 mm. ; colour 

 bright red, with veiy faint markings on the dorsal 

 surface. 



Legs. — First pair about o'92 mm., fourth pair 

 aljout 1.68 mm. General appearance similar to legs 

 O" fig- I. Colour a very dark brown, sometimes 

 nearly black. 



Fig. ^.—Ltmnciia tiiiuu/ata, 

 Eplmera a.sd Ge.sital Plates of Fe.male. 



KciMKRA.— (Fig. 5.) This will show one of the 

 important differences between Liiiiiun'a hislrioiiica 

 and /,. tnaailala. In fig. 2, the first pair of 

 epimera are curt'cd inwards, with a small additional 



PalI'I. — Small, only about o'48 mm. in lengtli. 

 This is about half the length of palpi of the fir.st species 

 of this genus. They are also a little difterent in 

 shape, the peg being nearer the third segment. 



The 



Fig. 6. — Linmesia iiinciiUita, Pali-i of Female. 



hairs on the inner margin are also different, 

 there being several in this species. (.See fig. 6.) 



Genital Ari-;a. — (Fig. 5.) In this species it is 

 very much like fig. 2, excepting that the hairs are 

 placed more in the central portion of the plate ; 

 and are a little larger in proportion to the size of 

 the mite. 



Male. — Rather smaller than the female, and 

 po.ssessing nearly the same characters : excepting 

 in the genital plates. Here, a great difference will 

 be found, a.s shown on fig. 4 and fig. 7. Fig. 4 

 shows the male plates of L. hislrioniia with a fringe 

 of hairs all round the margin, but the plates of 

 L. tnantlafa have not this feature. 



Fig. 7. — L. iitaciilata, Genital Plates of Male. 



Localities. — Fairly common. I have found 

 them around Ixindon, at the Norfolk Broads, 

 and in .Suffolk. Dr. Cieorge finds them in 



