17G BRITISH SPECIES OF PHALANQIUEA OR HARVEST MEN. 



GENUS PHALANGIUM (Linn). 



PHALANGIUM (Sim). 

 PHALANGIUM (Meade). 



Cephalotliorax furnished with more or less conspicuous spines 

 or denticulations ; those in front of the eye-eminence are 

 generally more or less irregularly placed, usually in two rough 

 groups on a ridge on each side of the median line in no case do 

 any form a distinct transverse line of three on or near to the 

 anterior margin of the caput, as in a subsequent genus Oligoloplius. 



The Abdomen has transverse rows of minute denticulations on 

 the upper side corresponding with the different segments, and a 

 central longitudinal boldly-angular dark band, more or less 

 distinctly marked. Eye-eminence of moderate size and armed 

 with two rows of sharp tubercles or spine-like teeth, the longi- 

 tudinal space between them being hollow. Lateral pores large, 

 oval, and conspicuous. Anal plate small, oval or broader than 

 long, sometimes almost circular. Genital plate large, somewhat 

 oblong, and sometimes enlarged at its anterior extremity, which 

 is rounded, or truncated. Legs long, moderately strong, 2, 4, 1, 3. 

 The tibiae are devoid of false joints, but they are present in the 

 metatarsi. The metatarsi, however, of the first pair of legs in one 

 of the British species, P. saxatile, are devoid of them. Femora 

 armed with rows of numerous more or less strong spines or 

 denticulse. The palpi end with a non-pectinate claw. 



M. Simon remarks on the difficulty of giving distinctive 

 characters of this genus ; and indeed it is not easy to differentiate it 

 quite satisfactorily from Oligoloplius * C. Koch, Sim. Mr. Meade 

 included in Phalangium a species (0. morio = Plialanyium urni- 

 gerum Hermann-Meade) separated from it by M. Simon, while 

 Mr. Meade included in his genus Opilio the most of the species 

 included in Simon's genus Oligoloplius. M. Simon lays but small 

 stress upon what seem to me to be the best marked distinguishing 



* Not Dr. Carl L. Koch, of Nuremberg, long since deceased, but Dr. C. 

 Koch, of Frankfort, now, I believe, still living. 



