Spiders and Their Near Relatives 



the oesophagus formed a large muscular "crop" which was full of 

 solid particles. As there were none in the stercoral pocket, he 

 concluded that this is some special arrangement of the sucking- 

 apparatus and that the solid matter is again ejected through the 

 mouth. 



It has been suggested that the great length of the legs com- 

 bined with the fact that they easily separate from the body serves 

 as a means of protection from such animals as would prey upon 

 the harvestmen. The body is fenced in, as it were, by a hedge 

 of legs. In attempting to capture the harvestmen the enemy 

 is almost certain to seize hold of a leg and to be left with only it 

 in its grasp. 



It is probable that this means of protection is only brought 

 into play as -a last resort; for they appear to have few enemies. 

 This is doubtless due to the odour of the fluid secreted by the scent 

 glands. The protective fluid is often excreted in considerable 

 quantity, so as to be readily seen, when these creatures are 

 handled. 



No silk glands have been found in this order; and harvestmen 

 make no nests or retreats. 



The chief works on the harvestmen of the United States are 

 those of Wood ('68), Weed ('92/7 and '93), and Banks ('93^, 

 '93ft, '94^, and '01). In the last cited paper Banks gives a 

 synopsis of our species which has been of great service in the 

 preparation of the following account of them. The European 

 works which I have used most are those of Simon ('79), Pocock 

 ('02), and Cambridge ('04 -'05). 



The order Phalangida is divided into three suborders; one 

 of these, the Cyphophthalmi, is not represented in our fauna; the 

 other two can be separated as follows: 



A. Sternum of the first abdominal segment not reaching in 



front of the hind coxae. P. 58. Mecostethi 



AA. Sternum of the first abdominal segment extending much in 



front of the hind coxae. P. 64. Plagiostethi 



Suborder MECOSTETHI (Mec-os-te'thi) 



In this suborder the sternum of the first abdominal segment 

 extends but little if any in front of the hind coxae and the sternum 

 of the cephalothorax is narrow and long, lying between the coxae 



58 



