] 32 Proceedings of the Eoyal Irish Academy. 



borders present in 0. gracilis and other species. Legs normal, last pair 

 rather short, scarcely reaching the end of the dorsum ; the lengths are about 

 495)u, 308^, iGifi, '2SG^ ; central claw nuicli stronger than the others. 



Habitat. — Not unconunon under dead shells in a salt marsh on Malahide 

 Island, May, 1915. Ic also occurs under stones lying on mud at the mouth 

 of a small stream flowing into the Malahide estuary, June, 1915. On the 

 west coast it was found under stones on a grassy sward just above the Pelvetia 

 zone at Ardfry in a place covered at high tides, June, 1916. 



Dr. Berlese refers this species to his sub-genus Punctoribates, wliich was 

 apparently established without diagnosis, and with 0. punctum C. L. Koch as 

 the type-species. Koch's figure shows a snu\ll globular species, with rather 

 long, clubbed, pseudostigniatic organs. It is also recorded in the works of 

 Canestrini and Fanzago. The former says (23, p. 19) : " Setole stimmatiche 

 niediocri claviformes." Yet it is figured by Berlese (2, fasc. xxx, No. 2) as a 

 species with short lamellae, united by a broad translaniella and long leaf- 

 shaped pseudostigmatic organs. In a later reference (5, j). 66) he records 

 0. avenifera Michael as synonymous with 0. punctum, so there would seem to 

 be a difference of opinion as to the characteristics of the last-named species. 



Oribata avenifera Michael. 



Found under limestone flakes in the upper Pelvetia zone at Malahide, 

 June. Also under stones a little above high-water mark in the Orange 

 Lichen zone, April. 



As Michael 36) has pointed out, the cuticle of this species is very 

 minutely punctured, but it is not correct to describe the notogaster as 

 hairless ; as a matter of fact there are four pairs of short hairs, as well as an 

 equal numlier of paired pores on the dorsal surface. Not previously rocoidcd 

 from Ireland. 



Oribata Lncatii Nicolet. 



Found crawling on a giecn alga-like weed in the Broadmoadow Water 

 estuary at Malahide, June, 191.">. The .species had been previously found 

 under fir bark on Achill Island, and on Lambay (25). A generally dis- 

 tributed British species. 



Oribata panneliae Michael. 



Common under lichens growing on large boulders on the seashore at 

 Howth, in a place at least occasionally splashed by the tides. Apparently a 

 coast species, Mr. Michael records it as feeding upon lichens ( Ptirmelia) 

 growing on granite rock at Liind's End, Cornwall (36;. 



