Xvii 



HARVEST-SPIDERS 



441 



Members of this group vary considerably in habit. The best 

 known forms are exceedingly active, and trust to their speed in 

 endeavouring to escape from danger, at the same time emitting 

 an odorous fluid from two apertures situated just above the coxae 

 of the first pair of legs. These active Harvestmen are only 

 found in the mature 

 state at certain seasons 

 of the year, and are 

 believed, therefore, to 

 live only for a single 

 season. Slow -moving 

 forms,likethe Nernasto- 

 matidae and the Trogu- 

 lidae, which live amidst 

 grass and herbage, have 

 a much longer duration 

 of life. In danger they 

 remain perfectly still, 

 and trust to their 

 earthy appearance to 

 escape observation. 



They are stated to 

 be extremely thirsty 

 animals, and have been 

 observed drinking from 

 the dewdrops on her- 

 bage. It is probably 

 on this account that 

 they are sometimes seen 

 attacking juicy vege- 

 table matter, for with- 

 out doubt they are essentially carnivorous. The larvae of 

 insects, young spiders, mites, and myriapods are their customary 

 food. It is not requisite that the prey should be alive, but they 

 will not touch anything mouldy. 



Notwithstanding their apparently weak mouth-parts, they do 

 not merely suck the juices of their victims, but masticate and 

 swallow solid particles. Cannibalism is frequently observed 

 among them. 



The males fight fiercely with one another at the breeding 



FIG. 229. Oligolophus spinosus. (After 

 Pickard-Cambridge. ) 



