55§ 
jPHAEANGIUM. 
Genus VII. — Phalangium > 
The infects of this family bear a ftrong refemblance to 
the crab : They have eight feet, and four eyes ; two on 
the fummit of the head, and two on the {ides. The an- 
tennae are fixed to the fore part of the head, and have the 
appearance of feet ; the abdomen is round *. 
Some have imagined that all thofe threads with which 
the grafs and Hubbles in autumn are covered, are the 
produftxon of the phalangia. So numerous are thefe 
threads, that in the courfe of one day the whole furface 
of the ground is covered with them. Their ufes to the 
animal are probably to enfnare its prey, and to affiit it in 
travelling through the air. Other naturalifts have fup- 
pofed thefe waving threads to be fpun by a fpecies of 
tick called the autumnal weaver. 
Phalangium opilio, the fiiepherd weaver. The body of 
this fpecies it round ; above, the colour is adulky brown; 
lielow, a dirty white. The legs are uncommonly long, 
and {lender : when caught by one of them, the owner 
parts with it to fave his body, and makes off without any 
apparent uneafinefs : This is alfo the cafe both with the 
crab and lobfter, whofe lofs is quickly repaired by the 
growth of a new limb. No experiments have yet af- 
certained whether the power of reproducing their limbs 
may not alfo belong to the infefls of this genus. 
* Syft. Nat. p. 1027, 
