THE HAKVEST-SPIDEE, OE HAK VEST- MAN. 



677 



of arrangement. The next group of spiders are in reality separated by the fact that they 

 possess only six eyes, and are therefore called Senoculata, or Six-eyed Arachnida, the 

 preceding belonging to the group of Octonoculina, or Eight-eyed Arachnida. 



This species of Dysdera has lately attracted much attention, for, although it is properly 

 a native of Southern Germany and the surrounding countries, it has lately been discovered 

 in England. This solitary British specimen was found near Brighton, in a lump of clay 

 upon a bank of the same substance ; and it is a remarkable fact that the entrance of the 

 hole in which the creature lay, was stopped up with a dried carapace of the same species. 



Should any reader wish to discover this rare spider in some other locality, he may 

 easily identify' it by its peculiar shape, which is given in the illustration, its straight jaws, 

 its powerful falces, and its six eyes arranged in a form something like that of a horseshoe, 

 two small ocelli in front and four larger behind. It has altogether a reddish cast ; and 

 its length is more than half an inch. 



THE pretty SCYTODES shown 

 in this illustration is found both 

 in Europe and Africa, but only in 

 the hotter parts of the former 

 continent. It may be known by 

 its six eyes arranged in pairs, and 

 its elegant colouring, which is 

 pinky white, with two rows of 

 black spots on the abdomen and 

 black rings on the legs. Its eyes 

 are brilliant yellow. The female 

 always uses her jaws in carrying 

 the cocoon, which is about the 

 .size of an ordinary pea. 



The SEGESTRIUM also has six 

 eyes, and is found in Europe. It 

 lives mostly in hollows of walls 

 and rocks, spinning a silken tube 

 in which it conceals itself, and 

 holding in its feet the lines which 

 communicate with the exterior. 

 The tube is open at both ends, so 

 that when the spider feels either of the lines shaken, it can dart out at once upon its prey. 



The common HARVEST-SPIDEK, or HAEVEST-MAN, is a very common and well-known 

 inhabitant of England, and, whether in gardens or in the open field, is to be found in very 

 great numbers. 



Sometimes the Harvest-spider is seen scrambling over the grass with wonderful speed, 

 its little round body hardly discernible as it moves along, and its long straggling legs 

 looking like animate hairs. Sometimes it prefers to cling to a wall or fence, and there 

 remains perfectly quiet, with its legs stretched out to their full extent, and occupying a 

 wonderful spread of surface. Sometimes again, especially on windy days, it seeks 

 sheltered spots, such as crevices in old walls, or the rough bark on the leeward side of 

 tree trunks. 



One day this summer (1862), as I was bathing in the river Cray, just below a lasher, 

 f happened to look under the cross-beam of the woodwork, and there saw something 

 which I took for a mass of black horsehair. Wondering how such a substance could get 

 into such a situation, I went to examine it, and then found that the supposed horsehair 

 was nothing more or less than a legion of Harvest-spiders, all gathered together, their 

 little bodies nearly hidden by their bent legs. There must have been some thousands of 

 the creatures under the beam, all perfectly motionless. An intelligent countryman, to 

 whom I pointed out this curious assemblage, was quite as surprised as myself, never 

 having seen anything of the kind before. 



Segestrivm seiioeuiatU'in. 



Scytodes 



