30 NOTES ON MILLIPEDES. 



motion, and two modified anterior pairs of limbs, one (the chelee) 

 forming- great pincers and composed of six segments, and one 

 (the mandibles) forming small pincers and composed of only 

 three segments. 



The abdomen is distinctly segmented, and the last six seg- 

 ments '.. are narrower than the rest, forming a distinct tail; the 

 last segment of all (the telson) ends in a sharply pointed poison- 

 sting. 



On the lower surface of the second segment of the abdomen 

 are a pair of comb-like organs (the pectines) ; the exact use of 

 which does not seen to be known, but I have noticed scorpions 

 are continually moving them about as if they were organs of 

 touch. 



Scorpions are divided into several families ; two of which 

 occur in our region and may be thus distinguished : — 



1st. BtitJtidce. Sternum of the cephalothorax small and trian- 

 gularly pointed in front. 



Two spurs on the articular membrane of the tarsus. 



2nd. Scorpionidte. Sternum of the cephalothorax broad and 

 pentagonal. 



One spur on the articular membrane of the tarsus. 



Family Buthidce. 



1. Archisometrus mucronatus (Fabr.) The Sharp Scorpion. 



" Mengpon tahkepp " of the Siamese. 



This small yellowish scorpion is widely distributed in the 

 East, being recorded from Burma, Siam, Cambodia, Cochin China, 

 China, Japan, Philippines, Sumatra, Java, Flores, Saleyer, and it 

 is said from New Zealand and Madagascar. Pocock has given 

 an excellent coloured figure of this species, natural size in Max 

 Weber's Zool. Ergebnisse III, PI. vi, fig. 1, (published at Leyden, 

 1893.) 



Scorpions of this species are to be found inside and outside 

 houses, both downstairs and upstairs, as well as in gardens and 

 in the jungle ; they spend the day hidden in crevices, or under 

 stones, rocks, etc., and at night roam about for food ; they run 

 about the walls of houses with ease, but I doubt their being able 

 to cross ceilings, as the house-lizards of the family Geclconidce do. 



