130 



ARACHNOIDEA. 



CASE collected in the month of June some of the long-legged spiders 

 named Phalangium, which had specimens of this mite adhering to 

 them. They especially torment the females, and place them- 

 selves upon them generally behind the 

 posterior haunches, where the palpi of 

 the female (which are much shorter than 

 those of the male), cannot reach them. 

 When they settle on the male he fre- 

 quently gets rid of them by the help of 

 his longer palpi. The mite at this stage 

 is of a fine orange scarlet, and scarcely 

 equals a grain of mustard seed when at 

 its greatest development, and has an oval, 

 swollen, shining body, which may be compared to that of a full 

 fed tick (Ixodes), but without any shield on the back behind 

 the head. It has six legs, which seem placed more and more 

 to the front the bigger the animal is. It preserves the use of 

 them, however, as long as it lives as a parasite, and can change 

 its place on its victim even with some agility. It has nothing 

 resembling the anterior portion of the body of the full-grown 

 Trombidium. If detached from its victim, when ready to un- 



Trombidium holosericeum, 

 young. 



Trombidium holosericeum, perfect insect. 



Ditto, under-side of ditto. 



