Page:Wood 1865 - The Myriapoda of North America.djvu/30

Rh

The head is of moderate size. The dental lamina are rather broad, their teeth small, almost tuberculiform. The scuto-episcutal sutures are traceable, but not so distinct as the sterno-episternal. The first scutum is very short, the penultimate very large, with its sides strongly arched. The legs are slightly compressed. One brown specimen has some of its scuta margined posteriorly with green. This species differs from subspinipes in the shape of hind pair of legs, which are parallelopipedal, and have the margins much more acute, as well as in the proportionate length of the basal and tibial joints. How far these characters are specific is not certain, and it is very possible that this species does not deserve to rank higher than a variety. Large suites of specimens can alone decide this.

The habitat of S. byssina is uncertain. Originally it was described as doubtfully living in Florida. Then specimens were found in the Smithsonian Collection labelled California. Since then others have come to light labelled Florida. It is hardly possible that the species is common to the two countries, and which is correct I am at a loss to decide. Length 2½ inches.

The head is somewhat peculiar; it is not so broad as the posterior portion of the body.