474 . 
TIIALANGIUM. 
height above the surface on which the animal rests: 
the eyes are situated on the top of the head, and 
resemble two very minute glassy globules: the 
colour of the whole animal is a pale greyish brown. 
This species preys on the smaller kind of insects 
in general. 
Among the minute species of Phalangium the 
most remarkable is the P. cancroides of Linnaeus, 
a very small insect, of a reddish brown colour, and 
of slow motion, occasionally found among papers, 
dried plants, &c. k.c. Its shape is obtusely oval, 
Vv ith a sharpened front, furnished with a pair of 
veiy long and large jointed claspers, which give 
the insect a very remarkable appearance: the 
body is very much depressed. This little insect 
has been occasionally referred to very different 
genera. The celebrated Swammerdam considered 
it as a species of Scorpion; and o^^the same opinion 
was the ingenious Roesel, in wli^se work on in- 
sects it is well figured. In the Fauna Suecica of 
Linnmus it is made an Acarus, and Degeer insti- 
tutes for it a particular genus under the name of 
Chelifer. It is a species which seems to vary con- 
siderably in size; those which are foiind in our 
own country rarely exceeding the length of the 
tenth of an inch, while in some parts of Europe it 
appears to arrive at twice that length. It is said 
by Linnmus, but, jirobably, on no just foundation, 
to introduce itself occasionally under the skin, and 
to excite a painful tumor; a circumstance, which, 
considering the size of the animal, seems scarcely 
