506 MB. F. G. SINCLAIR ON Til K [Dec. 3, 



convinced me that our knowledge of the Indo-Australian Myria- 

 pocls is very fragmentary, and does not as yet suffice to allow of a 

 satisfactory division of the groups into species. 



Attems, in his excellent work on the Myriapods collected by 

 Prof. Kukenthal in the Malay Archipelago, says that in most 

 Myriapods there is a want of characteristic distinctions confined 

 to a species, and in this I thoroughly agree with him. The only 

 species-character which at present seems satisfactory is the form 

 of the copulatory apparatus. There is, however, much practical 

 inconvenience in resting too much upon a single character which 

 is confined to one sex ; and our knowledge of the differences 

 between male and female is at present so imperfect, that it is easy 

 to see how much confusion may arise. Moreover, we see from 

 Verhoef's investigations that there may be considerable variations 

 in the copulatory apparatus at different ages. Pocock too, in his 

 work on the Myriapoda of the Mergui Archipelago, has pointed 

 out that other characteristics vary extremely with age. Under 

 these circumstances, I rather hope that my descriptions and 

 figures may be of use to future observers than expect that my 

 species may prove permanent. The consideration that we can 

 have no satisfactorily defined species of Indo-Australian Myria- 

 pods until we have a better acquaintance with their numerous 

 variations of form, and especially some knowledge of the differ- 

 ences due to different ages of individuals, must be my excuse for 

 extending the present paper to what seems an undue length. It 

 will be observed that I have described one or two peculiarities that 

 are evidently individual malformations. Some of the questions 

 raised by Mr. Bateson's book on Variation (' Materials for the Study 

 of Variation,' 1894) seem to me to render any such peculiarities 

 worth recording, and, so far as I know, very few such have been 

 noticed by authors. 



This collection contains examples of 40 species, of which 16 are 

 already known, 15 are varieties of known species, and 9 are new. 

 The Polydesmoidea are the most numerous, and the number of 

 species of Chilopoda are few. This may be partly due to the 

 difficulty of capturing the latter. As I know, from personal 

 experience, it is no easy matter to collect a large and lively 

 Kcolopendra. The manner in which some of them have been 

 taken is shown by a noose of thin grass round the neck of one 

 specimen. The way in which another has been taken may be 

 guessed from the fact that it is completely flattened. 



The specimens were collected in the mouths of May, June, 

 August, and September at the following places : — 



April. 



Patalung State. . . . Koh ha. 



Patalung (on shore of " Inland Sea"). 

 Tapeluug. 

 Patani (District of Patani. 

 Patani State). 



