406 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Dr. Verlioeff has also * many corrections to make in a recent paper by 
P. Schmidt concerning Pauropus and Scolopendrella. 
New Diplopod Fauna in Liberia. - ) - — Mr. 0. F. Cook calls attention 
to the large number of new kinds of Diplopods which have recently been 
discovered on the west coast of Africa. No less than three new families 
will have to be, and are here formed, to receive these new types. With 
regard to the African continent at large, it appears that there are four 
very distinct Diplopod faunae, for the northern, southern, eastern, and 
western parts have little in common. The species are, of course, even 
more local. 
Morphology and Classification of Pauropoda.J — Mr. F. C. Kenyon 
points out that in many peculiarities of their structure the Pauropoda 
are undoubtedly Diplopoda; as in them, the genital aperture occurs 
upon the third postcephalic segment, the ovary is below the intestine, 
the mouth-parts consist of a pair of mandibles and a lower lip. The 
intestine is simple, a portion of the body segmentation is double or 
tends to be so, the legs are six-jointed, and the movements are slow. 
All these characters outweigh, the author thinks, the apparently 
anomalous position of the testes, and other characters which have led to 
Pauropus being separated from its most obvious allies. The correct 
position of the Pauropoda is not so easy to determine. That they are 
primitive in some respects is shown by the simplicity of the segmenta- 
tion ; that they are degenerate is equally well demonstrated by the lack 
of tracheal and circulatory systems. Some characters are nothing more 
than superficial. Taking all the facts into consideration, the author 
thinks he is justified in reducing the Pauropoda from an order to a sub- 
order; with its companion sub-order Pselaphognatha it may form an 
order to be termed the Protodiplopoda. The author adds some notes on 
the morphology of the Diplopoda. After reviewing the opinions of 
recent writers on the subject, he gives a table which indicates the 
similarities and differences in the segmentation and in the position of 
the genital apertures in Peripatus , Lithobius, Hexapoda, Diplopoda, 
Symphyla, Arachnida, Xiphosura, and the decapod Crustacea. 
S. Arachnida. 
Development of Chelifer.§ — Dr. J. Barrois has studied the develop- 
ment of a species of Chelifer which he found abundantly in winter in 
small closed nests beneath stones. Between October and February the 
occupant of the nest is plump and has a swollen abdomen ; towards the 
end of April or in May the nest is empty, or contains an emaciated 
inmate. In the meantime egg-laying has occurred. The males appear 
to be smaller and rarer. 
The eggs are not laid before January, but after that they may be 
found in a packet adhering to the vulva, with its cavity in free com- 
munication with that of the oviduct, evidently a nutritive adaptation. 
The result of development is in the first place a larva with a large 
suctorial apparatus. This gives rise to a second stage, filled up with 
* Tom. cit., pp. 153-9. f Amor. Natural., xxx. (1896) pp. 413-20. 
+ Tufts College Studies, No. iv. (1895) pp. 77-146 (4 pis.). 
§ Revue Suisse Zool., iii. (1896) pp. 461-98 (3 pis.). 
