The Graspedosomatidas of North America. 9 



other. We concluded, however, after attempting a studj^ of the 

 forms occurring in central New York, that more complete de- 

 scriptions of the known species would be necessary for their 

 identification and an understanding of their generic relationships. 

 Especially undesirable would be the projection of the new species 

 into the existing confusion. 



Through the kindness of Drs. Riley and Gilbert we were per- 

 mitted to examine the tj'pes in the National Museum and the col- 

 lection of the University of Indiana. These, with our own col- 

 lection, gave us examples of nearly all the described species. 



Unfortunately the types of the species described by Wood, 

 Packard, Cope, Ryder and Harger are not accessible, and may be 

 no longer in existence, Drs. Cope and Ryder expressed their 

 regret at being unable to assist us, as their specimens could not 

 be found. Dr. Packard favored us with a vial of specimens of 

 Pseudotremia and stated that his material may have been de- 

 posited in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Cambridge. 

 Owing to the illness of Dr. Hagen we could not get access to the 

 specimens, nor ascertain whether they are in the Museum. The 

 Museum of the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences contains but 

 one species of this famil}'", a Cryptotrichus, but not Wood's type. 



A study of the material at hand soon showed us that we had 

 entirely underestimated our task ; it purported to consist of 

 twelve of the fourteen species then known, but from it we have 

 been compelled to erect seven additional species. Collections 

 made by ourselves added four more, and when this paper was 

 nearly finished Captain Casey presented a bottle of California 

 Myriapoda among which we found still another novelty, increas- 

 ing to twenty-eight the number of species known from North 

 America. From this it may be inferred that many species are 

 still to be discovered, especially since the distribution is usually 

 very local. Individuals are scarce, and require the most careful 

 collecting in very moist habitats where species of other families 

 are not commonly found, and which are therefore not visited 

 except in special quests for Craspedosomatidse. 



Our thanks are due to Mr. R. Innes Pocock, of the British 

 Museum, for many kindnesses in the way of opportunity of ex- 

 amining the collections under his charge, and for specimens of 

 European Craspedosomatidse which have enabled us to verify our 

 opinion of their generic distinctness from American forms. 



