Spiders and Their Near Relatives 



parent.* Femur and tibia of the first two pairs of 



legs short and stout. P. 50. Ideobisiidve 



CC. Spinneret knob-like and of the same colour as the finger. 



Femur and tibia of the first two pairs of legs rather 



long and slender. P. 51. Obisiid^ 



Family CHELIFERIDiE (Chel-i-fer'i-dae) 



This family includes all those pseudoscorpions in which there 

 is retained evidences of segmentation of the cephalothorax; in 

 the other families the cephalothorax is without any transverse 

 sutures on the dorsal aspect; and this is also true of some members 

 of this family. Even in those genera in which the more typical 

 species have well-marked transverse sutures there are species 

 in which the sutures are indistinct. The presence of one or two 

 transverse sutures in the cephalothorax clearly indicates that the 

 species belongs to this family; but if such sutures be wanting, 

 the position of the species must be determined by other characters. 



The members of this family differ from all other pseudo- 

 scorpions in having the serrula attached throughout its length 

 to the finger of the chelicera. The spinneret of the chelicera is 

 long and delicate. The flageilum is absent. The tarsi of the 

 legs are one-jointed; and the tarsal claws are short and thick 

 and more or less split on some or on all of the feet. 



The following table will aid in separating the five genera 

 representing this family in our fauna; but unfortunately the pres- 

 ence or absence of a transverse furrow on the cephalothorax is 

 sometimes difficult to determine. 



A. With only two eyes or with none; cephalothorax evenly 



rounded in front; anterior legs with a second trochanter. 



(Subfamily Cheliferinas.) 



B. Cephalothorax with a transverse suture. 



C. Femur of the palpus not pedicellate, gradually and 



slightly enlarged from base to tip; palpi very long 



and slender; eyes present except in cave species. 



P. 46. Chelifer 



CC. Femur of palpus distinctly pedicellate, being suddenly 



• According to Ranks ('95b) some males of the genus Ideoroncus "lack the stylet"— i. e., the spin- 

 neret is short. 



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