Myriopoda. 687 



which by the published reports have contributed most extensively 

 to our knowledge of the classification and distribution of this 

 group, are those mentioned under heading D. (p. 695), aa collected 

 by Mr. E. Thurston in South India; by Mr. E. K. Ci.m-ii in 

 Ceylon; by Mr. E. W. Oates, Dr. Anderson and Sig. L. IV. . in 

 Burma; by Dr. Max Weber in the Dutch East Indies; by the 

 collectors employed by Messrs. F. D. Godman and < ). Salvin in 

 Central America, and by theWest Indian Exploral ion ( Sommittee 

 in the Lesser Antilles. 



In 1886 the Myriopoda were placed in Mi-. Pocock's cha 

 In the following year a MS. catalogue of all the described 

 species was commenced, and the accumulated material in th< 

 Museum and the incoming accessions were in subsequent years 

 gradually worked out, the catalogue at the same time being 

 completed and all the specimens represented in the collection 

 entered in it under their appropriate specific headings. 



The four orders of Myriopoda — namely, the Chilopoda. Dipl<»- 

 poda, Symphyla, and Pauropoda — have the same history from the 

 point of view of registration, determination and catalogue work. 



The Pauropoda and Symphyla, especially the former, ar< 

 poorly represented in the collection as to require merely a passing 

 notice. 



Of the DijDlopoda and Chilopoda, the latter have received 

 the larger share of curatorial attention, and have twice 

 completely worked out, first of all by Newport in 1844 and 

 secondly by Pocock in 1886 and subsequent years. As compare'! 

 with the material in other museums, all the families are fairly 

 well represented from tne various countries enumerated below 

 (p. 688). This is especially true of the Scolojpendrtda . Scuti- 

 geridse and Lithobiidae ; less so of the burrowing; Oeophilidse, 

 which escape the notice of collectors. Of the Craterostigmidw, 

 the British Museum possesses the only two specimens known, 

 which were collected in Tasmania by Mr. G. M. Thomson. 



The collection of Diplopoda is less complete than that ..I the 

 Chilopoda, although the series of Pill-Millipedes is uniqv 

 the numbers of species and type-specimens. From only a f. \\ 

 extra-European countries, such as Burma, Ceylon, the Air, 

 and West Indies, can it be claimed that the Museum material 

 is fairly representative of the fauna 1 . 



The collection of Myriopoda in L904 contained aboi 

 specimens, 850 named species, and 500 unnamed sp< 



