78 Marvels of the Universe 
d 
of some of these is, considering the size of the snail, 
immense, especially in the case of those of the Pro- 
boscid Spindle, where they may be as much as two inches 
in diameter. Each contains a number of eggs. Possibly 
not only the horny integument but the similarity of the 
coil to sea-weed may be a protection for the young 
Spindle-shells against their enemies. 
MOTRIES TEUNMIE ILIDVIS, ION AUNTS? INJESIS 
BY HORACE DONISTHORPE, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 
To most people Mites do not exist at all. If looked for, 
however, they are to be found everywhere, and their 
habits are both interesting and very variable. 
They are related to spiders and scorpions, and generally 
AS ent Tat @ DURte ettacined) Insacein (ne entae possess eight legs. They have commonly only three pairs 
of legs at birth, and obtain four pairs after a moult and 
metamorphosis. Probably the most generally known is 
the ‘‘ Cheese Mite,’ which is microscopic. Some are 
aquatic, and live in both fresh and salt water. The ticks, 
of which the “ Sheep-tick”’ is a serious pest, occur on 
mammals, birds, and even on snakes and turtles. The 
‘““Ttch Mites,” one of them causing the disgusting com- 
plaint called the ‘“‘ Itch,’’ burrow within the skin of man 
and othermammals. A few occur in the tracheal passages 
of seals, and one has been found living within the lungs 
of amonkey. There are several species attached to the 
nests of moles; others are sometimes found on beetles; 
the ‘“shard-borne’’ beetle of Shakespeare being called 
the ‘‘ Lousy Watchman,” on account of the numbers of 
Mites with which it is often infested. Many species feed 
on living plants, and produce galls on the leaves and 
twigs. It is not, however, generally known that a large 
number of species are only to be found in the nests of ants. 
Many only occur with one particular kind of ant, but 
others frequent the nests of several different species. 
There are some twenty-seven different kinds of Mites now 
known to occur in ants’ nests in Britain, of which nine- 
teen were first discovered here by the writer. Many of 
them live as scavengers in the nests; they are not fed, 
or even noticed, by the ants. They devour the dead 
bodies of their hosts and other refuse in the nests. 
They are generally to be found in the galleries and under- 
ground chambers of the ants. We give a photograph of 
a large red species which was observed by the writer in 
some numbers in Cornwall in the nest of a scarce yellow 
ao ant, its proper host. This Mite is usually rare, both here 
oto e8)] ee Si Io IME Coip Mg WA and on the Continent. There are many smaller species 
A scarce yellow ant with a large red Mite. of the same family which may be noticed as minute red 
Two Mites, one on each side of the ant’s head. 
