146 ARACHNIDA. 



devouring the hard-cased beetle {Bitoma crenata). Goetz also fed 

 them with aphides. 



3. The Phalangiidce, distinguished by having the antennal 

 claws very distinct, and terminated by a didactyle claw. They 

 have two filiform palpi of five joints, the last of which is ter- 

 minated by a small hook. The body is short, and of an oval 

 or rounded form, the abdominal portion exhibiting the appear- 

 ance of segments. The legs, eight in number, are always 

 very long, and divided as in insects. 



These curious creatures are known under the common 

 name of harvest-men or harvest-spiders. They live on the 

 ground amongst grass, under stones, &c., and are exceed- 

 ingly active, the great length and slenderness of their legs 

 enabling them to proceed with very great rapidity. These in- 

 sects are evidently rapacious, and feed upon other insects. 

 Their relations are very interesting, appearing to be interme- 

 diate between the spiders and mites. Some of the exotic in- 

 sects belonging to this family are amongst the most extraor- 

 dinary of annulose beings ; the species of Gonyleptes, in their 

 threatening form and the singular spines with which the legs 

 &c. are armed, well merit the specific names, horridus, &c., 

 which have been given to them, whilst others equally un- 

 sightly have been figured by Dr. Perty in the " Delectus Ani- 

 malium Articulatorum Brasiliae." 



ORDER IV. — MONOMEROSOMATA (Lcach). 



This order consists of the tribes of mites and ticks, in- 

 sects referable to the Arachnidous tyj^e, although the 

 mode of respiration by tracheae difi"ers from the more ty- 

 pical Arachnida j but in this group the characters derived 

 from the respiratory organs have recently been proved 

 by the researches of M. Duges to be of but a secondary 

 importance. By Dr. Leach these insects were constituted 

 a distinct class of the articulated animals, in which respect, 



