ARANEIDA. 819 



the female either clasped in the chelicerae, e.g. Dolomcdes, or 

 attached to the abdomen as in Lycosa. The mother often 

 exercises a certain amount of parental care over her offspring. 

 A few forms, e.g. Protolycosa, and Palasanea, occur in the coal 

 measures, but the greater number of fossil forms occur in the 

 amber of the Oligocene. 



The spiders form a very large group and a very homogeneous 

 one, so that the difficulties of classification are great. We have 

 in the main followed Simon (op. oil. on p. 811). The first three 

 families mentioned below are separated by Simon as the group 

 Araneae Theraphosae from all the other spiders which he calls 

 Araneae Verae. 



Sub-order 1. ARANEAE THERAPHOSAE. 



Chelicerae directed in front, two pair of pulmonay sacs, often 4 spinnerets, 

 no gnathobase on pedipalps. 



Fam. 1 . Liphistiidae. Abdomen segmented dorsally, with a series of 

 terga : spinnerets, eight in number, situated about halfway along the 

 abdomen : 4 lung-books : 8 eyes on an elevation. Liphistius the only 

 genus, with but 2 species : one from Sumatra, and one from Penang. 



Fam. -2. Aviculariidae (Mygaliidae). (Fig. 538.) Cephalothorax oval or 

 almost square : eyes usually S. rarely fi ; chelicerae independent of one 

 another with great vertical movement ; no gnathobase on pedipalps 

 which are leg-like ; 4 stigmata and 4 spinnerets. Terminal joint of the 

 chelicerae or unguis folded down into a groove of the sub-terminal 

 joint. The Aviculariidae include the large tropical spiders as large as mice 

 and also the trap-door spiders of the warmer temperate regions. They 

 are divided into 7 sub-families : i. Paratropidinae, with two American 

 genera. Paratropis and Anisaspi.i with thick scaly or hairy integuments : 

 ii. Actinopodinae with 3 genera, Stasimopus from South Africa, Eriodon 

 from Australia, and Actinopus from South America makes cylindrical 

 burrows with a trap-door : iii. Miginae with very short chelicerae, with 

 three genera, Moggridgea, S. Africa, Migas S. Africa and N. Zealand, 

 and Myrtale Madagascar : iv. Ctenizinae, these are the typical trap-door 

 spiders and include some 40 genera, Pachylomerus widely distributed. 

 Conoihele Malaysia, Cyclocosmia America, Acanthodon widely distributed. 

 Cteniza France and Italy, Cyrtocarenum Mediterranean, Aporoptychus 

 Africa and America: Cyrtanrh< nii/s Africa; Nemesia the most common 

 of the European trap-door spiders, Mediterranean : v. Barychelinae. 

 Barychclus Xew Caledonia. Leplopelma Italy and Africa, Sason Andaman 

 Islands : vi. Aviculariinae, Ischnocolus widely distributed, Chaetopelinn 

 Egypt, Syria and Arabia, Crypsidromus America, Phlogius South-west 

 Asia, Selenocosnvia East Indies, Theraphosa Central America, Homoeomma 

 Brazil, Ettrypelma America, Avicularia America, Poecilotheria India : 

 vii. Diplurinae, these weave webs but do not make tunnels, Dijtlnrci 

 is American, Brachythele and Macroihele are European. 



Fam. 3. Atypidae. Six spinnerets : terminal joint of chelicerae or 

 unguis does not fold down into a groove of the subterminal joint. malc> 



