TRACHEA HUE. 209 



Chelifer, Geoff. Obisium, Illig. 



The palpi elongated, in the form of an arm, with a hand terminated 

 by a didactyle forceps; all the legs equal, terminated by two hooks; 

 the eyes placed on the sides of the thorax. 



These animals resemble small Scorpions destitute of a tail. Their 

 body is flattened, and the thorax nearly square, with one or two eyes 

 on each side. 



They run swiftly, and frequently retrograde or move sideways 

 like Crabs. Roesel saw one female lay her eggs and collect them 

 into a heap. Hermann, Sen. says that she carries them under her 

 abdomen, united in a pellet. He is even of the opinion that these 

 Arachnides can spin. 



Hermann, Jun. Mem. Apter. divides this genus into two sec- 

 tions. 



In some Chelifer, Leach the first segment of the trunk or 

 thorax is divided by an impressed transverse line; the tarsi consist 

 of a single joint; there is a kind of stylet at the extremity of the mo- 

 vable finger of the chelicerae, and the hairs of the body are shaped 

 like a spatula. 



Ch. cancroides; Phalangium cancroides, L.; Scorpio cancroides, 

 Fab.; Roes., Insect. Ill, Supp. LXIV, vulgo Book- Scorpion. 

 Found in herbaria, old books, &c, where it feeds on the small 

 insects that destroy them. 



Ch. cimicoides; Scorpio cimicoides, Fab.; Herm., Mem. Apter., 

 VII, 9. Inhabits under bark of trees, stones, &c. 

 In others Obisium, Leach the thorax is entire, the chelicerae 

 are destitute of a stylet, and the hairs on the body are setaceous(l). 

 A more important character however is found in the number of 

 eyes. In Obisium it is four, and but two in Chelifer properly so 

 called(2). 



Fab.; Herbst. Ib. ; II, 1; Phalangium araneoides, Pall., Spicil. Zool., fascic. IX, 

 iii, 7, 8, 9. See also the Monog. of this genus by Herbst., and the Voy. of Pallas 

 and Olivier. 



(1) Herm., Mem. Apter., V, 6; VI, 14. 



(2) See Leach, Monog. of the Scorpions, Zool. Miscell. Ill, tab. 141, 142; and 

 a memoir on the Insects found in copal by M. Dalman, where he describes and 

 figures a species under the name of eucarpus, and mentions several others. 



Vol. III. 2 B 



