10 S. J. MC'iNTTRE 



capture. These proceedings lead one to think his sight is none of 

 the hest in hroad daylight, or under the luminous beam from the 

 lamp. Sometimes he seems to detect their approach very quickly, 

 and at other times he will not discover their presence till he has 

 stumbled over them, and their terrified hurry to escape has put him 

 on the qui vive when it is too late. If he shoiild seize the Podura 

 by a leg, or one of its antennae, the frightened insect leaps away 

 minus the member — a very common occurrence — but if his grip is 

 better placed, say at the head or body, escape is impossible, and the 

 powerful claw quickly transfers the creature to the falces, which do 

 not let go again till the meal is finished, that is, till all the fluids 

 are sucked away. 



Should the Chelifer, in these foraging expeditions, meet one of his 

 own kind, he immediately prepares for battle and displays con- 

 siderable ijugnacity and skill. Two Chelifers meeting, invariably 

 try to seize each other's claws, and in default of this, shake their 

 own in a menacing and ludicrous manner. If they are unequally 

 matched, the weaker one is pulled closer and closer, till the embrace 

 becomes deadly, and then the victor makes a meal of him ; but I 

 have sometimes seen a couple of well matched combatants both retire 

 exhausted from the contest to their respective corners. It is not 

 unfrequent to see one Chelifer shewing fight to another, whilst a 

 dying Podura is quivering in the cruel grasp of its falces, j ust like a 

 mouse in the jaws of a cat. 



I have enclosed various larvse and small insects with the Chelifer, 

 and always found the intrusion of one of these into its privacy was 

 resented by an attack on the invader, sometimes ending in its death. 

 Generally, however, one touch of the formidable nipper was a 

 sufficient hint to the trespasser to beat a hasty retreat. 



One specimen in my possession has constructed for itself a snug 

 little home, consisting of a silken bag, into which he often retires. 

 He generally, however, sits in the entrance, and only withdraws 

 from observation when disturbed. Sometimes he goes abroad and 

 walks round the cell, but he invariably goes back to his own corner 

 afterwards. I noticed this iteculiarity with some surprise, for I 

 did not expect a Chelifer could spin any web, and I am uncertain 

 that he has not availed himself of something previously in the cell 

 suitable to his purpose. The texture of the cell is very like the web 

 made by the house spider. 



One of the most curious points in the history of the Chelifer 



