Scorpions from the Malay Archipelago 



BY 



R. I. POCOCK, 



of the British Museum (Nat. Hist.). 

 With plate VI. 



Introductory Remarks. 



Although examples of only eleven species, referable to 5 genera, 

 were obtained by Dr. Max Weber, no less than 4 of these prove 

 to be undescribed — a percentage of new forms which is certainly large. 



Of the Sumatra species one only is new i. e. Chaerilus cavernicola. 

 This was obtained from a cavern and might well have been overlooked 

 by any collector. Of the others, Hormurus australasiae is found wi- 

 dely distributed over the whole of the region; Isometrus flavimanus 

 was previously taken by Sig. Beccari, and was characterised only 

 three years ago by Dr. Thorell, while Palamnœus spinifer, if cor- 

 rectly identified, is new to the island. 



From Java likewise only one new species i. e. Isometrus formosus, 

 was brought. Upon this discovery, however, Dr. Max Weber is espe- 

 cially to be congratulated. For it is surprising that none of his pre- 

 decessors at Buitenzorg appear to have seen this pretty scorpion, 

 which, judging from the numbers that were brought to Europe, seems 

 to be tolerably common. With the exception of Chaerilus variegatus, 

 which is apparently somewhat rare , the other Ja van species i. e. Scor- 

 pio indicus and Isometrus maculatus are well-known forms. 



In Celebes the only two species taken on the mainland — at Luwu 

 — are new. These I have called Hormurus weberi and Chaerilus cele- 

 bensis. The two — namely Isometrus mucronatus and Hormurus aus- 

 tralasiœ — collected on the Island of Saleyer are wide-spread species. Both 

 of them occurred also in Flores, from whence nothing new was obtained. 



