A Survey of the Scorpion Fauna of South Africa. 
169 
specimens from Knysna, referred to by me in a previous paper (19), are 
referable to capensis, as they agree so closely with Thorell's description, 
although Kraepelin has recently described the Knysna species as new under 
the name of 0. ohscurus (13) ; at the same time, Kraepelin recorded capensis, 
as he understood the species, from Victoria in Rhodesia and from Natal, 
yet it seems highly improbable that material from the Knysna neighbour- 
hood, where Yictorin is known to have made extensive collections, can be 
identical with a Rhodesian species. According to Kraepelin, 0. capensis 
Thor. (presumably the type specimen), has a spine at the terminal angle of 
the tarsi inferiorly ; this character, regarded by Kraepelin as of specific 
importance, is certainly a variable one in other species of the genus. 
This species is closely related to asiaticus, differing therefrom in the 
■stronger granulation of its surfaces and the coarser sculpturing of the 
liands. 
'O. AsiATicus Keyserling (PI. XXVIII, fig. 76), Arach. Austral, v. 2, p. 24, 
t. 3, f. 1, 1884-9. 
According to Pocock, this species occurs at Port Elizabeth, and in 
Kraepelin's synopsis of the genus (13) it is said to occur also in Java. It 
is known to me from Alicedale (F. Cruden), Dunbrody (Fr. J. O'Neil), 
Kamaehs, near Uitenhage (Mrs. T. V. Paterson), Redhouse (Mrs. T. V. 
Paterson). 
I have examined sixteen specimens of this species, including the type 
(in the British Museum). The spine at the angle of the fourth tarsus is a 
constant character, and in addition are usually 4.3 spines, but sometimes 4.4. 
The vesicle is always small in this species. 
genus Q^isthocentrus (4), but subsequently decided to restore them to Opisthacanthus, 
thus abandoning his genera Opisihocentrus and Cheloctonus (6). More recently, in the 
' Biologia Centrali-Americana/ he expresses the opinion that Opi-sthocentrus should be 
maintained. The question seems to me of some importance in connection with 
zoogeography, and I have, therefore, paid considerable attention to the points 
emphasised by Pocock and have carefully compared our material with specimens 
from Brazil (British Museum) and from Madagascar (P. A. Methuen), with the result 
that I now follow Prof. Kraepelin in referring- all to the genus Opisthacanthus. In 
defining Opisthocentrus, Mr. Pocock says: "It maybe that these characters are of 
small value in themselves, and it would be bold to assert that every one of them is of 
itself of generic importance. But the aggregate value of them all, coupled with the 
wide difference in the geographical distribution of the two types, is sufficient, I think, 
to justify the adoption of the view of their importance that is here put forward " ! In 
■considering this statement one cannot but suspect that the writer has misused the 
geographical data ; such data should have no place whatever in classification. The 
genus is a very generalised one, and probably of great antiquity. 
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