SPIDERS. 261 



The spiders are content with sucking the juices 

 of their victims, but the Harvestmen devour them 

 bodily. When walking the body is raised but little 

 from the ground, so that it is upon a level with its 

 prey. They spring and pounce upon their victim as 

 a cat upon a mouse, and hold it with their palpi as if 

 with hands. Mr. Fulk writes : " I have repeatedly 

 seen individuals of Phalangium when in confinement 

 pursue each other with the utmost pertinacity, the 

 larger generally pouncing upon the smaller, and 

 having brought them within reach of their palpi by 

 grappling them with their long legs, proceed to devour 

 the body, leaving the extremities untouched. They 

 use one of their legs occasionally to support the food 

 to their mouth. Towards the close of summer all the 

 females are full of eggs. These are laid in protected 

 crevices, under dry stones, &c., and are hatched out 

 in the spring." The name of Harvestmen has been 

 given to these spiders, it is said, on account of a pre- 

 valent superstitious belief that if killed there will be a 

 bad harvest. Be this as it may, there is certainly a 

 prejudice in their favour amongst country people 

 which protects them against being wantonly destroyed. 

 In the United States they are called Daddy Long-legs. 

 Closely allied to the spiders are those small but 

 almost innumerable little creatures, the Acari or Mites, 

 such as are found in coarse sugar, old cheese, stale 

 meal, and various other articles of domestic utility. 

 They abound in woods, but are so minute that they 

 cannot be distinguished except by the aid of a lens. 

 Birds have their own particular species which is para- 

 sitic upon them. Beetles may be seen running about, 



