BRITISH ORIBATIDiE: 
NOTES ON NEW AND CRITICAL SPECIES. 
215 
Rev. J. E. HULL. 
(PLATE XX.). 
In the following notes I follow, almost of necessity, the order 
of Michael’s classical treatise on the ‘ British Oribatidae’ 
(Ray Society, 1883 and 1887), which is also the order adopted 
in his later work on the Oribatidae generally (‘ Das Tierreich.’ 
1900). I think, however, that it will be found necessary to 
drop his primary sub-division of the family into two sub- 
families based on the presence or absence of pteromorphae ; 
for it creates an unnatural gap between his Oribatinae and 
Notaspidinae. These are in reality so closely related that the 
species known to Michael as Oribates lucasii* is most probably 
not an Oribates at all, but belongs to a group included by him 
in the genus Notaspis, but now commonly regarded as a 
separate genus (Oribatula). But I hope to deal with this 
matter of classification elsewhere ; at present it w'ill suffice 
to say that I have found it necessary to adopt several genera 
proposed by continental authors (mainly sub-divisions of 
Michael’s Notaspis). 
The number of British species known to Michael in 1900 
was 103. In 1905, Messrs. Pearce and Warburton added ten 
more, of which seven were new species ; and Lohmannia 
paradoxa has been recorded for Ireland, making a total of 
114. For some time I have been accumulating additions 
but have only published tw r o, Oribates picipes and Rermannia 
flnviatilis. The British list, therefore, at present includes 
116 species, and to these I am now adding 22, of which four 
are already known on the Continent and 18 are, so far as I can 
ascertain, new to science. 
PELOPS Koch. 
P. major sp. n. (Plate B [Plate XX.], fig. 2). 
Length about 1 mm. 
Of the same general form as P. acromius, but the dorsum 
is not so coarsely rugose, and the ‘ clear spot ’ is a little 
further back. It is most readily distinguished by the dorsal 
setae which are all fine and acute. There are two rows of 
three on the hind margin, and, I think, four rows of three 
on the disk ; but these appear to be very caducous (though 
the humeral pair are always present). The quadrate 
prodorsal extension is straight in front and quite flat, of 
same texture and colour as the dorsum — as are also the 
pteromorphae. 
1914 July 1 . 
* See Plate B, fig. 3. 
