114 ARACHNOmEA. 



a web and deposits in the middle a single spermatophore, and 

 the female comes to the web to be fertilised. The eggs are laid 

 in a little cell in the earth, and are looked after by the female, 

 who is said never to leave them for the two weeks they are 

 incubating, coiling herself round them in the cell. This species 

 may often be turned up in the earth whilst digging in a 

 garden, when by its great activity it soon will bury itself again. 

 Their food is composed of other ground-insects, snails, slugs, 

 and small worms. Some species are luminous. 



Llthobius breeds later than lulus, going on until August. 

 The female rolls the viscid eggs on the soil and so coats 

 them with earth. The male, if he sees the ova, at once devours 

 them. 



Aeachnoidea {8pi<ler», Scorpions, and Mifex). 



The three chief groups of the Arachnoidea are the Spiders, 

 Scorpions, and Mites. The first and last only are of any agri- 

 cultural importance. Another small division known as the 

 Pnifa>iio'iiii(hi: must also claim a few passing words, as they 

 sometimes cause ill effects and loss in farm stock, living as 

 parasites in the sinus of the bones and air-sacs of animals and 

 birds. The distinguishing feature of the Arachnoidea is the 

 presence of four pairs of legs, which are nearly always found in 

 the adult. There is no true metamorphosis ; but growth take.'! 

 place by a series of ecdyses, the young resembling the adult in 

 general form. The ova develop rapidly. The three divisions 

 are characterised as follows : — 



i. Araneida or Spiders (fig. 47, a) have the head and thorax 

 united into one piece, the cephalothorax {c), the abdomen (a) being 

 distinct. Eyes are represented by clusters of ocelli (fig. 47, b, /"). 



ii. Scorpionidiv have the anterior palpi elongated like le£;s, 

 and provided with nippers like the claws of a crab. The ab- 

 domen may have the last six segments elongated and formed 

 into a spurious tail. 



