553 PHALANGIUJJ. 



Genus VII. — Phalangium. 



i HE infects of this family bear a llrong refemblsnce to 

 the crab : They have eight feet, ^nd four eyes ; two on 

 the fummit of the head, and two on the fides. The an- 

 tennae are fixed to the forepart of the head, and have the 

 appearance of feet ; the abdooien is round *.. 



Some have imagined that all thofe threads with which 

 the grafs aad ftubbles in autumn are Covered,, are the 

 production of the phalangia. So numerous are thefe 

 threads, that in the courfe of one day the v;hole furface 

 of the ground is covered with them. Their ufcs to the 

 animal are probably to enfnaye its prey, and toaffift it in 

 travelling through the air. Other naturalifts have fup^ 

 pofed thefe waving threads to be fpuu by a fpccies of 

 tick called the autumnal v/eaver. 



Phalangiu'fH opilio, the lliephcrd weaver. The body of 

 this fpccies is round ; above, the colour is a dufey brown j 

 below, a dirty white. The legs are uncommonly long, 

 and flender ; when caught by one of them, tlie ownirr 

 parts with it to fave his body, and makes off witliout any 

 apparent uneafiaefs ; This isalfo the cafe both v»^iLh the 

 crab and lobller, whofe lofs is quickly repaired by the 

 growth of a new limb. No experiments have yet af- 

 certained whether the power of reproducing their limbs 

 mzj not alfo belong to the infects of this genus» 



■ • Syft. Nat. p, 102;. 



