126 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



My specimens agree with Hentz's description and figure, 

 except that Hentz figures the posterior median eyes as round ; 

 whereas in my specimens they are peculiarly elongate and 

 curved. Still I do not doubt that this is the species referred 

 to by Hentz. 



On examining the spider one is immediately struck not only 

 by its general peculiar appearance, but more especially by 

 several strange structures. The cephalothorax is somewhat 

 circular and quite low. The posterior lateral eyes are large, 

 those of the lower row much smaller. The posterior median 

 eyes are close to the posterior lateral, and are elongate, curved, 

 and somewhat pointed behind ; the) 7 project but slightly above 

 the surface of the head. The mandibles are small, and are 

 partially united at the base. The lip triangular and the 

 maxillae surround it. The principal other peculiar features 

 are at the opposite end of the animal : these are the spinnerets 

 and some hairs surrounding the anus. The spinnerets are six 

 in number ; the superior pair is two-jointed, the distal joint 

 much the longer and somewhat curved ; they project quite a 

 little beyond the tip of the abdomen, and are seen in Hentz's 

 figure. Between these spinnerets the abdomen is raised into a 

 slight cone ; near the top of this cone, and almost surround 

 ing it, is a row of hairs which are strongly bent near their 

 middle and enlarged slightly at their tip. The four other 

 spinnerets are short ; near their base is apparently a somewhat 

 simple cribellum, but I can see no calamistrum on the hind 

 metatarsi, so do not feel sure that it is a cribellum. I can find 

 but two claws to the tarsi; these have about six teeth. They 

 appear somewhat separate from the tarsus and may, perhaps, 

 be considered "as forming a claw-joint, as is found in the 

 Pholcida and other allied forms. 



From a study of the figure and description by Hentz, Dr. 

 Marx in his catalogue has placed it in the family Urocteid<z. 

 The eyes are apparently the same as in CEcobius. But, as I 

 have said, I can find but two tarsal claws, while the Urocteidff 

 have three ; neither does this family have a cribellum, which 

 Thalamia apparently possesses. Blackwall described a species 

 of CEcobius, CE. navus, as having two tarsal claws and cribel 

 lum and calamistrum. Thorell throws this out of the family 

 UrocteidcE on the above characters, and erects for the species a 

 separate family, the Omanoidce, and changes the name of 

 Blackwall's spider to Omanus navus. Thalamia w r ould seem 

 to be related to this spider. 



But in my short study of Thalamia I have come to other 

 conclusions as regards its position, as well as the position of 

 other spiders more or less closely related to it. Duges in 1863 



