Kew : Lincolnshire Pseudoscorpions. 



197 



finding- on an old oak of a Hover-fly (Br achy palpus laphriformis) 

 and a species of Anthomyia, each with an unidentified Pseudo- 

 scorpion clinging- to one of the hind-legs.* Mrs. Lane Clarke 

 wrote of ' Chelifer ' in 1858 : 



This parasite attacks flies. I have seen a common fly run wildly about 

 upon the window-pane, shaking- itself violently, and apparently in great 

 distress. Upon catching it, I found a small scorpion-like creature fixed 

 upon one of its thighs, by a pair of tremendous claws, — hardly could it be 

 detached for examination, and then it ran quickly, like a crab, sideways. f 



Mr. Stainton told the Entomological Society of London, in 

 September 1865, that he had that autumn noticed an unusual 

 number of Chelifers on'the legs of house-flies ; % and other" cases 

 have been reported by Mr. Bailey, || Professor Leydig,§ Mr. 

 M'Intire,** Mr. Bisshopp,ft and by J. S.jj The last observer 

 compares the Pseudoscorpion hanging to the leg of the fly to 

 a parachute attached to a balloon. He sent the creature to 'The 

 Entomologist,' and according to Mr. Newman's identification it 

 was ' Chelifer cancroides. 'WW In a case recorded by Mr. Macrae, 

 in 1869, the fly was small and weakly and the Chelifer strong 

 and active : 



I saw the fly on the window at lunch, and noticed something attached 

 to it, -but missed taking it. Strange to tell, it dropped in my wine-glass 

 at dinner, so that I secured both.§§ 



Mr. Preudhomme de Borre has reported an observation made in 

 July 1872, in a house in Liege, in which a Pseudoscorpion 

 attached to the leg of Musca domestica is said to pertain to 

 Chelifer panzeri C. Koch = Chernes cimicoides Fabr. A second 

 observation was made a few days afterwards.il Mr. C. W. 

 Dale, in enumerating- the Pseudoscorpions of Glanville's 



* A. Gerstaecker, ' Bericht iiber die wissenschaftlichen Leistungen im 

 Gebiete der Entomologie,' 1859-1860, p. 347. 



f L. L. Clarke, 'The Microscope,' 1858, p. 146. 



% H. T. Stainton, Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 

 (3), II. (1864-6), p. cxii. ; and Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, II. (1865-6), 

 p. 120. 



|i G. Bailey, Hardwickc's Science-Gossip, 1865, p. 227. 



S F. Leydig, ' Skizze zu einer Fauna Tubingensis,' 1867, pp. 16-7. 

 ** S. J. M'Intire, Hardwickc's Science-Gossip, 1869, p. 246. 

 I I E. F. Bisshopp, Entomologist, V. (1871), p. 428. 

 XX}. S., ibid., VIII. (1875), p. .85. 

 ||||E. Newman, ibid., p. 186. 



^ G. Macrae, Hardwicke's Science-Gossip, 1869, p. 283. 

 H A. Preudhomme de Borre, Verhandlungen der k.-k. zoologisch-botani- 

 schen Gesellschaft in Wien, XXIII. (1873), p. 36. 



iqoi July -'. 



