no 



ARACHNOIDEA, 



CASE its six-legged stage as a Leptus— we think that any one who ex- 

 amines the palpi will acknowledge that Claparede is right, and the 

 wonder will rather be how it ever came to acquire a settlement 

 among the Trombidii. 



It is of a brick-red colour, and is so minute as to be scarcely 

 visible to the naked eye. Though bred upon plants, such as 

 French-beans, currants, raspberries, gooseberries, and other 

 vegetables, yet it deserts them whenever opportunity presents 

 itself to fasten on animals, and it has apparently a particular pre- 

 dilection for the human species, especially women and children. 

 They fasten upon their skin, chiefly where any part of the dress 

 fits closely, adhering by their claws and palpi so firmly, that 

 when once fixed they can scarcely be detached without violence. 

 When disengaged their motion is quick, though not so rapid as 

 that of some other species of mites. On the part where one of 

 them fixes it causes a tumour, generally about the size of a pea, 

 sometimes much larger, accompanied with severe itching. The 

 point of a fine needle is best calculated for removing them with 

 the aid of a magnifying glass. Different persons suffer in different 

 degrees from these attacks, and some persons they pass over alto- 

 gether. For instance, a case is mentioned (see notes to White's 

 Natural History of Selborne, Brown's Edition (9th) p. 113) of two 

 persons who had been together during a day's nutting in the 

 woods, and who afterwards slept in the same bed-chamber, one of 

 whom was entirely covered with red blotches from the attack of 

 this mite, while the other was untouched. White also, when 

 mentioning their uncommon abundance in the chalky districts of 

 Hampshire, relates that he had been assured, that they swarmed 

 to so infinite a degree in the rabbit warrens on the Downs, as to 

 discolour the nets of the warreners, and give them a reddish tint, 

 whilst the men were so bitten as to be cast into fevers. 



In some parts of Scotland (East Lothian for example) we have 

 known them so numerous and troublesome in the fruit gardens 

 as to deter ladies and children from gathering gooseberries. The 



