292 DR. JOHNSTON ON THE ACARIDES OF BERWICKSHIRE. 



bristles ; ventei' concave, smooth : Bostrum conoid, contracted 

 at its origin, bulged at the origin of the palpi, whence it ta- 

 perstoacylindricalobtusebifid point : FalpirntheY longerthan 

 the rostrum, and originating from near its base, armed with 

 a few bristles on the external edge, S-jointed, 1st joint thick 

 and large, 2d slenderer, 3d small and armed with two claws : 

 Le^s 6, all arising from the anterior third of the body, the 

 first and second pairs almost coalescent at their origins, and 

 the third a little more distant ; they are all alike, the second 

 pair rather shorter than the others, slender, filiform, scarcely 

 so long as the body, bristly, of a uniform red or scarlet 

 colour, 7-jointed, 1st joint short and stout, 2d small and 

 globose, 3d thrice as long, 4th like the third, 5th longer, 

 6th nearly twice as long as the fifth, slender, the 7th or tar- 

 sal elongate-elliptical, larger but much shorter than the pe- 

 nultimate, and armed with two claws and a few bristles at 

 the apex : Bristles of the body short and black, narrow at 

 their origin, erect, thick and rough or somewhat barbed ; 

 those of the legs longer, sub-appressed, stout and setaceous, 

 barbed with numerous spinules : Skin minutely striolate. — 

 I could detect no eyes on the body ; nor is there any appen- 

 dage to the palpi as in Trombidia in general. In one speci- 

 men there was a comparatively large papilla on one side, and 

 in another a protuberance behind with a deep lunate sinus. 

 Specimens vary much in size ; and in the very small ones 

 the legs are proportionably longer to the body. 



This mite lives on the Phalangia, especially on Phalangium 

 opilio and cornutum, or long-legged spiders, attaching itself 

 to the body and legs. It is common enough, and familiar to 

 naturalists. When detached, it creeps slowly and awkwardly, 

 as with a labour to itself ; and if it falls perchance on the 

 back it cannot recover the right position on a smooth and 

 even surface. The legs make a beautiful object for the mi- 

 croscope. The head is like that of a tortoise when protruded 

 beyond the shell. 



The above description is made from specimens taken on 

 the Phalangium opilio, for which I am indebted to Mr. 

 James Hardy ; and compared with fine specimens taken 

 from Phalangia, in New- waterhaugh plantations. It agi'ees 

 with the description of the Leptus phalangii given by other 

 authors, except in asserting the absence of eyes. Latreille 

 says that there are two black eyes in his species, and 

 others either copy him or have seen them. Dugbs says that 



