110 



4. Sphaeronella vestita n. sp. 



(PI. II, fig. 5 a— 5 b.) 



FEMALE. The largest specimen (fig. 5a) is -49 mm. long and -335 mm. broad; 

 the body is ovate, and the proportionally very large head occupies about one third of the total 

 length; another specimen of the same shape is only - 44 mm. long. Tufts or stripes of hair 

 are found on the inner side of the basal joint of the maxillae, on the skeleton outside their 

 articulation, in front of and behind the basal part of the maxillipeds, as well as above the 

 middle of their articulation. The trunk is densely covered all over with peculiar, very 

 broad, apparently shorter than broad, obliquely proceeding » scales «, which are transformed 

 hairs. The genital area of the large specimen (fig. 5 b) is cut off; it was shortly oval and 

 somewhat broader than long, yet somewhat longer compared with the breadth than the pre- 

 ceding species; its solid chitine forms a ring which is rather broad in front, posteriorly it 

 seems to be open; the distance between the genital apertures is moderately great; the caudal 

 stylets are situated on the posterior margin of the area, and the distance between them is 

 rather considerably smaller than in the preceding species; the region between and behind 

 the genital apertures and the part surrounding the caudal stylets are closely covered with the 

 above-described » scales «, while the remainder of the skin inside the ring has much fewer 

 » scales «, and the ring itself is almost naked. The genital area of the smaller specimen 

 seems to agree essentially with that of the larger one. 



MALE. Length: -234 mm. Resembles the male of the preceding species, but the 

 median frontal plate seems to be a little longer and the second pair of legs a little shorter. 



OVISACS. They are somewhat to not very much smaller than the females. 



LARVA and POST-LARVAL DEVELOPMENT. Unknown. 



HABITAT. The marsupium of Microprotopus maculatus Norm, from Denmark; 

 found only in two specimens. In one animal were found: one female (the largest), one 

 male and four ovisacs, which are oblong, glued together and contain larva which are more 

 or less, but not fully developed. In the other specimen were found: one female, one male 

 and five ovisacs, each of which was somewhat smaller than the female. 



REMARKS. In the shape of the body, the hairs-tufts on the head and the 

 peculiar close covering of » scales « on the trunk, the two females found agree essentially 

 with the scarcely half-grown or very small females of S. danica; they are, however, some- 

 what larger than these; each of them had a spermatophore attached to it and a developed 

 genital area, from which we may conclude that they are both adult and have laid the ovisacs 

 which were found together with them. This supposition is confirmed by the circumstance 

 that the hosts are too small to contain parasites of the size of S. danica. 



