170 BRITISH SPECIES OF PHALANGIDEA OR HARVEST MEN. 



a small oval orifice, called the " lateral pores," often looking like an 

 eye, and formerly considered to be a spiracular opening, but now 

 decided to be the orifices of glands, whose office is as yet undis- 

 covered. 



Organs of generation consist, in the male, of an intromittent organ 

 or penis, usually withdrawn beneath the external sheath or cover- 

 ing genital plate ; that of the female being provided with a large 

 corresponding ovipositor capable of protrusion. Like the Araneidea 

 the Phalangidea are oviparous, and also increase in size by successive 

 moultings of the skin. 



Three families only i., Phalangiidm ; ii., Nemastomatidce ; iii., 

 Trogulidce are as yet known to be represented in Great Britain, 

 and all three are comprised in Mons. Simon's Sub-order Opiliones 

 plagiostethi. Of the other European families Sironidce, Plialan- 

 godidce, and Iscliyropsalidce none have yet been found in 

 Britain. 



FAM : I. PHALANGIID^E. 



In this family the ventral segments are 5 or 6 in number ; the 

 first is prolonged into a genital plate between the basal joints of the 

 legs, reaching quite to the mouth parts. Two transverse folds 

 behind the eye-eminence. Eyes near together on an eminence 

 near the middle of the caput ; basal joints of the legs not soldered 

 together laterally ; the maxillce of the second pair always 

 visible. 



Palpi elongated, of simple form ; digital joint much larger than the 

 radial and ending with a claw. Epistoma long-pointed, or triangular. 



This family may be subdivided into i., Sderosomatince, in 

 which the epidermis is chitinous and squamose, and the five 

 anterior segments of the abdomen form with the cephalothorax, a 

 large scutum covering the whole creature, while the 3 posterior 

 segments are distinctly visible, overlapping each other and forming 

 a more or less vertical termination to the abdomen immediately 

 above the anal plate, which last has a small accessary portion on 

 each side of it no lateral pores. Epistoma elongate-pointed, 

 ii., P1ialauyiin(.v. Epidermis simply coriaceous, the upper abdominal 



