DR. K. W. VERHOEFF ON BRACHYCHAETEUMA, ETC. 1 43 



On the Occurrence of Brachychaeteuma, Titanosoma and 

 Polymicrodon in England. 



By Dr. K. W. Verhoeff (of Pasing, near Munich). 



The author's 48th paper on Diplopoda.* 



(With Plates IX. and X.). 



The richness of the European Diplopod fauna has shown 

 itself in no order more strikingly in the last quarter of a 

 century than in the Ascospermophora. In this group it has 

 appeared not only in regard to species and genera, but also in 

 respect of still higher groups. Only recently I had the oppor- 

 tunity of bringing before zoologists the two remarkable genera 

 Xylophageuma from south-west Germany and Tessinosoma 

 from southern Switzerland. Scarcely had I finished working 

 out these forms when I received from Mr. R. S. Bagnall for 

 examination a series of Diplopods from the county of Durham, 

 which contained several important forms, and especially a 

 representative of the Ascospermophora which is of the highest 

 interest because it falls into none of the previously known 

 families of this group, but must be regarded as constituting 

 the type of a new family. I take this opportunity of ex- 

 pressing my great indebtedness to Mr. Bagnall, who has most 

 kindly placed at my disposal a number of English Diplopods, 

 and has exerted himself in other directions for the advance- 

 ment of this branch of science. 



BRACHYCHAETEUMID^E Verhoeff, n. fam. 



Abdomen consisting of thirty segments, without definite 

 lateral keels. The usual three pairs of dorsal bristles are 

 decidedly short on all the abdominal segments. Abdomen 

 nearly circular in section ; but externally near the posterior 

 bristles there arises a small prominence. Dorsal surface fairly 

 smooth, that is, without coarse granulation and without 

 pointed tubercles, also without longitudinal grooves. 

 Antennae resembling those of the Orobainosomidse, that is 

 * Translated from the German MS. by E. L. Gill. 



