THE 



MONTHLY MICKOSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



NOYEMBER 1, 1871. 



I. — An Incident in the Life of a Clielifer. 

 By S. J. McIntiee, F.E.M.S. 



{Bead hefore the Eoyal Microscopical Society, Oct. 4, 1871.) 

 Plate CIL— B. 



For some time past, as some readers may be aware, I bave been 

 watcbing tbe babits, wbenever I got opportunity, of tbe Britisb 

 Pseudoscorpions, and tbe results are recorded in tbe Journal of tbe 

 Quekett Microscopical Club and tbe pages of ' Science Gossip ' ; but 

 lately a circumstance bappened in relation to tbe subject wbich 

 may be wortby of more special mention. 



About April last I procured from Theale two cbelifers, one of 

 tbem full-sized, and tbe otber a young one. I secured tbem, as is 

 my wont, in one of tbe cork cells already brougbt before tbe notice 

 of microscopists, and wbicb I find indispensable to prolonged obser- 

 vation of sucb creatures. Tbe large one perambulated tbe cell with 

 considerable activity, but tbe small one, with commendable pru- 

 dence, selected a crevice in it, ratber out of tbe track taken by tbe 

 adult specimen, and bere it abode quietly. Now and tben its peace 

 was disturbed by tbe too near approach of tbe large chelifer's claws, 

 but it cunningly evaded their grasp, and settled down again when 

 the danger was past. As I dieted them upon their proper food, 

 Podurae (of tbe genus Lepidocyrtus, the common sort of wbich I 

 was able to obtain a supply of at the time), they throve well, and 

 about tbe middle of May tbe growth was noticed upon tbe under- 

 side of tbe larger one's abdomen of the egg-case, leading me to 

 expect a repetition of former experiences, namely, that I should 

 soon have an addition to my stock, if all went well, of seventeen 

 or eighteen young cbelifers, which, on extricating themselves from 

 the egg-case, would climb their mother's back, and there seat them- 

 selves, secure from most enemies, after tbe manner of true scorpions, 

 as Natural History books tell us. 



But accidents will happen ; and so when the egg-burden was 

 of fuU size, and the shape of the young cbelifers therein could be 

 roughly traced out, tbe mother cast her load off. Whether the 

 young chelifer, whose claws were daily gaining strength, had at- 

 tacked her in her weak condition, or whether I bad disturbed her 



VOL. VI. Q 



