THE SOLPUGID-fi OF AMERICA — PUTXAM. 253 



very beautiful species marked with alternate black and white longi- 

 tudinal lines. 



In addition to the above, Latrielle has figured a species under the 

 name of Galeodes spinipalpis from America, which no other author 

 has since been able to identify. If truly an American species it 

 may possibly be the large species from California and Arizona, which 

 I have confounded with D. formidabilis Simon. 



Regarding the habits of the American Solpugidce comparatively 

 little is known. I have myself collected but five individuals of D. 

 pallipes in dift'erent parts of Colorado. They were always found 

 one at a time in a small cavity in the earth under a stone or " buffalo 

 chip". No other animal life was visible in their vicinity, and they 

 appeared to be quite pugnacious. In my haste to transfer them to 

 alcohol I failed to make more particular observations upon their be- 

 havior and mode of life. The observations of Professors Snow and 

 Popenoe upon this species agree with my own. 



At the meeting of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadel" 

 phia, held November 7th, 1871, Prof. Cope stated on authority of 

 Dr. Gehrung, that *' it \paUiptx\ was common in [Denver] in houses, 

 and was an enemy and destroyer of the Cimex lectxlanics (bed-bug.) 

 In captivity it showed a preference for them as food, and crushed 

 them in its short chelae preliminary to sucking their juices." 



Upon sending me two specimens of IJ. Califorxirx.^ Mr. D. Cleve- 

 land wrote that they were found at San Diego, in October, under a 

 board near together in small funnel-sha])ed sand holes, with nothing 

 else near them in the way of life, and that they were very belligerent. 

 Rev. E. L. Green writes that one morning at Silver City, New Mex- 

 ico, he found a small (Taltixhs dead and half buried awav on the 

 top of his candle. On another occasion while lying on his bed one 

 very hot night a large Galef^des ran across his bod}^ and down one of 

 his legs, but escaped before he could capture it. Regarding the 

 Texas species [Z>. siilfnria and (J. ge/dcii/ata], Mr. G. W. Belfiage 

 writes as follows: "They are true nocturnal species running with 

 great activity about houses at night, and are attracted by the light, 

 and sometimes to sugared trees. They are rare, but appear more 

 common in rainy seasons, and only in dark and damp nights. They 

 are probabl^^ solitary, and although I have examined everything in 

 the locality where they have been taken for many years, I have 

 never found a single one in the day time. When attacked they 

 raise and swing their formidable palpi and show fight, but they are 

 perfectly harmless."" 



