. CHEESE MITES, ETC. 259 



CASE known to be a careful and accurate observer, any statement of his 



XIV. 



is entitled to great weight ; but, like all of us, he is liable to error, 

 and may have been deceived (as sometimes happens), by abnormal 

 conduct under abnormal circumstances. There are many instances 

 of insects that are vegetable feeders having eaten their neighbours 

 when shipwrecked into an entomologist's box or breeding cage. 

 Dr. Fumouse, who has studied the habits of the Tyroglyphi more 

 closely than perhaps any other living naturalist, objects to the idea 

 as being opposed to the habits of all other Tyroglyphi, which 

 never attack living animals ; and, further, because although not 

 rare in France on vine roots attacked by Phylloxera, there never 

 has been any appearance of their number being diminished by 

 them (see Ann. S. Ent. Fr. 1874, Bull. 98). It is, moreover, op- 

 posed to the habits, so far as hitherto known, of the section of 

 T}Toglyphi to which it belongs ; for that section feeds exclusively 

 on vegetable food. 



Both M. Planchon and Mr. Riley have found Hypopi in this 

 species. 



No. II. Rhizoglyphus robinii {Clap. loc. cit,). — H. Magnified sketch of female, 

 copied from Claparede's figure. 



Found by M. Claparede in company with his H. dujardinii 

 upon hyacinths, and also on potato and dahlia roots, and, as he 

 himself says, capable of being easily confounded with dujardinii 

 in its course of development; but when mature, the female is 

 readily recognisable by her very thick and clumsy third pair of 

 legs, which occupy so much space that they throw the fourth pair 

 further back than usual. 



Rhizoglyphus (?) fecul^ (Tyroglyphus feculse, Gtcer., Ann. See. Ent. I'r. 

 1867). 

 It is probably to this genus that the species named Tyro- 

 glyphus feculae belongs. M. Guerin-Meneville records its sudden 

 appearance in very great numbers in some heaps of Australian 



R 2 



