Page:Wood 1865 - The Myriapoda of North America.djvu/94

Rh resistant shell. The feet are hidden beneath the broad body. The male genitalia are placed in the seventh segment. In the classification of the families and genera I have followed Mr. Brandt, his arrangement, as far as the two species I have seen enable me to judge, being founded on natural characters.

He adopts two families, which are characterized by the presence and absence of eyes. Though this would of itself scarcely seem to be sufficient to separate groups of such rank, yet, as it is associated with many differences in form &c., it serves as the most tangible distinguishing mark.

This suborder seems to stand at the bottom of the Myriapoda. In external appearance and form it approaches most nearly to the Vermes, and has undoubtedly the lowest structural development.

Mr. Brandt described this family under the name of Ommatophora, and the following under the name of Typhlogena; but I have adopted the names of Polyzonidse and Siphonophoridæ of Newport, for the reason that the former are not consistent with the laws of modern scientific nomenclature.

The eyes in this genus are very prominent, and are arranged in two straight rows, which are so placed, one on each side near the base of the antennæ, as to be convergent inferiorly.