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

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THE MYRIAPODA OF NORTH AMERICA.
229

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,[1] 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.

Fam. POLYZONIDÆ.

"Oculi parvi, simplices, in media fronte inter antennes conspicui."[2]

Eyes small, simple, conspicuous in the middle of the anterior surface of the head between the antennæ.

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.


Genus OCTOGLENA. [3]

Oculi octo, in seriebus duabus simplicibus dispositi. (Fig. 59.)

Eyes eight, arranged in two simple series.

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.

O. bivirgata.

O. brunnea, utrinque virga fusca ornata; segmentis fere 45.

Brown, with a fuscous stripe on each side; segments about 45

O. bivirgata, Wood, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1864, p. 186.

  1. Recueil De Mem., p. 49.
  2. Brandt, loc. cit.
  3. Wood, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1864, p. 186. γλυη, oculus.