[ 265 ] XXVI. Monograph of the Class Myriapoda, Order Chilopoda ; with Obser-vations on the General Arrangement of the Articulata. By George Newport, Esq., Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, President of the Entomological Society, 5fc. Communicated by the Secretary. Read March 19th, April 2nd and 16th, 1844. It has been well remarked by Gervais, in his essay on the Myriapoda, that of all the Articulata this class has been less carefully studied than any other. So few and general are the details respecting the Myriapoda, even in the works of those who have paid most attention to them, that it has been almost impossible to identify any one species from the descriptions that have hereto-fore been given. The species formerly described by Leach, few as they were, have from this circumstance remained up to the present time almost entirely unknown to the continental naturalists, and, as recently remarked by Brandt, it still remains for the English naturalists to supply these deficiencies. Many new species have lately been described by Brandt himself; and the multitude of specimens that are now brought to this country from every part of the world, prove that the number of species that exist is very considerable, al-though their distinct identification is exceedingly difficult, owing to their great similarity of form, and often of colour; and also to the great variableness in the markings and colour in the same species. It was the total inability I experienced from these causes to identify specimens that I wished to examine anatomically, that led me to attempt to characterise what seemed to be new to science, and to re-examine those formerly described by Leach, and still preserved in the cabinets of the British Museum. In this endeavour my views have been most kindly forwarded by my friend the Rev. F. W. Hope, who in the most handsome manner placed his whole collection at my entire com-mand, for the purpose both of internal anatomical investigation of structure as well as for the description of species. I have also to acknowledge a like
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