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| | Stilt walker |
 | | Although all legs of a harvestman are sensitive, the second pair of legs is so vital that the loss of one is a serious matter, and the loss of both is quickly fatal. |
 | | These legsand to a lesser degree all the othersare the animals main sources of information, serving as ears, nose, tongue, and perhaps even as supplementary "eyes." In other words, the legs are loaded with nerves and literally thousands of tiny sense organs that lie inside microscopic slits which open to the outside world. |
 | | When there is motion nearby, a harvestman energetically waves its second pair of legs in the air, picking up scent and vibration, or taps nearby surfaces, sampling the "taste." And instead of elaborate courtship rituals found in spiders, harvestmen touch each other gently with the same two legs, exchanging chemical messages unknown to us. |
| www.microscopy-uk.org.uk /mag/artjul98/bastilt.html (1035 words) |
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