Clare Island Survey — Acarinida. 39 61 



sternal shield, there are seven pairs of long, median bristles. Stem of 

 tritosternum very long and slender. Peritreme and anal shield as in the 

 female. Capitulum cup-shaped, with four pairs of long hairs on the maxillary 

 plate. Chelicerae (fig. 8b), fixed chela with a truncated apex inside of which 

 there is a group of three or four very minute teeth and separated from these 

 by a wide interval is a strong, pointed tooth ; free chela without distinct 

 teeth, articulated on the outer side of the base is a broad hyaline process, 

 about two-thirds as long as the free chela. Palps normal. The leg measure- 

 ments are approximately 1920^, 1280^, 1280^, and 1664^. Second 

 legs (fig. 8c) very thick, trochanter with a blunt prominence on its ventral 

 side ; femur feebly armed with two small teeth, proximal one conical, 

 distal one thorn-like and directed forwards, patella and tibia unarmed ; there 

 is a small hump on the dorsal side of the tarsus. Ambulacra (fig. 8d). 



Protonyjiph (fig. 8e-j). Female. — The dorsal plates are like those of 

 the adult, except that the second shield has a deep longitudinal incision in its 

 front margin. Sternal plate narrower, with three pairs of bristles. A small 

 tongue-shaped plate lies immediately in front of each of the second pair of 

 legs. Genital plate (fig. 8e), rounded posteriorly, fitting into the cavity of 

 the ventral plate, the side indentations of the anterior margin are without 

 the horn-like processes of the adult ; genital foramen trapeziform. Peritreme 

 originating near the front margin long and curved. Epistome (fig. 8/), 

 as in adult. Legs robust, with shorter bristles, inner margin of last three 

 pairs of coxae emarginate. The dorsal lobes of the ambulacra (fig. 8g) 

 are reduced to a single pair of rather broad membranous plates which are 

 pointed at their extremities. 



Male (fig. 8h). — Length 500/i to 570,u, breadth 308/i. Shape as in the 

 female, dorsal shields larger, especially the second one, which is not incised 

 in front and encloses the sides of the body. The sterno-genital plate widens 

 out beyond the fourth legs and extends in a broadly rounded extremity 

 to the small anal plate. Peritreme a bowed line, stigma opposite the fourth 

 coxae. Legs very similar to those of the female, second pair unarmed. 

 The epistome (fig. Si) differs from that of the female, in having a short central 

 spine reaching only a little beyond the side processes, the latter may have 

 two or four spines on each side. The chelicerae (fig. 8/) are very small, 

 fixed chela straight with two distinct teeth, free chela more slender, armed 

 with one tooth at a little distance from the apex, a large hyaline process 

 springs from its base. 



Nympha Coleoptrata.— Found in company with the adult ; easily 

 recognized as belonging to the present species by the characteristic form of 

 the epistome and ambulacra. 



r.t.a. proc, vol. xxxr. I 39 



