BRITISH SPECIES OF PHALANGIDEA OR HARVEST MEN. 175 



ing with great swiftness and facility over the herbage. The 

 muscular power of the legs is shown in the manner of progression, of 

 this species especially (but also of some other phalangids), the body 

 being sustained and carried along, poised as it were, between the 

 legs. No doubt the great strength of muscle which enables them 

 to do this is contained in the largely developed coxal joints, which 

 are themselves so strongly united to the cephalothorax. The 

 facility with which this species throws off its legs when meddled 

 with has been mentioned above. I once saw one running with 

 very fair speed and facility having lost all but two legs, an 

 anterior one on one side and a posterior one on the other. 



LIOBUNUM BLACKWALLII. 



Leiobunus Blaclcwallii Meade, "Ann. Mag. K H." 1861. 

 PL B, fig. 7. 



This species is nearly allied to L. rotundum, but is smaller, the 

 female measuring 2 and the male less than 1 J lines. The legs also, 

 in many examples at any rate, seem to be shorter though even more 

 thread-like ; there is, however, certainly often a difference between 

 individuals in respect to the length of the legs. It may easily be 

 distinguished by the dark fore part of the caput being divided 

 longitudinally by a white or pale band running from the fore 

 margin to the eyes ; these are also encircled with white rings. The 

 abdomen has a longitudinal dark band on the upper side, but 

 instead of ending in a nearly quadrate form as in L. rotundum, its 

 hinder extremity is dilated and extends laterally over the sides. The 

 paler portions of the abdominal markings are in this species also 

 of a silvery hue. 



The male is less distinctly marked, generally being almost 

 uni-colorous, of a yellow-brown, sometimes reddish, hue, but the 

 characteristic differences from L. rotundum may generally be traced. 



Although abundant in most seasons in woods and on wild heathy 

 places, I think this species is more local than the former, and I do 

 not remember ever as yet having found the two species on or close 

 to the same spot. 



