Mr. R. H. Meade on the British Species of Phalangiidse. 353 



XXXIX. — Supplement to a Mo7iograph on the British Species of 

 Phalangiidse, or Harvest-men. By R. II. Meade, F.R.C.S. 



In June 1855, I published, in the 'Annals and Magazme of 

 Natural History' (vol. xv. p. 393), a shoi-t paper on the Phalan- 

 giidse of this country, in which I described fifteen species. 

 Since that period a few new facts have come to my knowledge, 

 which will enable me to add somewhat to the natural history of 

 this neglected tribe; and I have also one new species to record, 

 the only one that has fallen under my notice since the appear- 

 ance of my monograph. 



I formerly remarked that no observations had been published 

 as to whether the Harvest-men change their skins and undergo 

 periodical moultings, like the true spiders ; but soon after the 

 appearance of my paper, my friend Mr. Blackwall wrote to me 

 to the following effect : — " Many years ago, when engaged in 

 investigating the changes of integument which various species of 

 spiders undergo, I directed my attention to the Phalangiidse 

 also ; and I can inform you, from my own observations, that 

 they cast their integument several times before they arrive at 

 maturity .'' In further confirmation of this fact, the Rev. Prof. 

 Henslow, in a communication dated September 4, 1855, wrote to 

 me, " I have just found two Harvest-men standing by what ai'e 

 manifestly their old clothes. '^ These he kindly ti'ansmitted to 

 me, together with the spiders themselves, which proved to be 

 specimens of Phalangium urnigervm. Mr. Blackwall also sent 

 me several exuviae in proof of his observations ; so no doubt can 

 rest any longer upon this point. 



With respect to the power possessed by the Phalangiidse of 

 reproducing lost limbs, Mr. Blackwall observes in the same letter, 

 " I am inclined to think that they do possess the power, as I 

 have frequently noticed one of the long legs of the second pair 

 (though perfect in structure) to be much shorter and smaller 

 than the other. Latreille's argument against the capability of 

 animals of the order Phalangidea reproducing lost limbs, de- 

 duced from the supposed shortness of their lives, is of little or 

 no weight, when it is borne in mind that the existence of nume- 

 rous species of spiders which do reproduce lost limbs is limited 

 to a few months.^' 



I am here led to the correction of another error into which 1 

 had fallen, viz, with respect to the length of life to which the 

 Phalangiidse may attain ; for while doubtless the individuals of 

 most species die at the commencement of cold weather, some 

 survive through the whole winter. Mr. Blackwall has found 

 living specimens of Nemastoma bimaculatum, Megabunus insignis, 

 Megabunus corniger, and Opilio agrestis, under stones in the 



