Superfamily Avicularioidea 



as Cyrtauchenius talpa; but the genus Cyrtauchenius has been 

 restricted by Simon to certain species found in Africa. 



Genus APTOSTICHUS (Ap-tos'ti-chus) 



This genus is closely allied to the preceding; but it differs 

 in that the anterior metatarsi are longer than the tarsi and armed 

 below with many spines. 



Three species have been described; all are from California. 



Aptostichus atomarius (A. at-o-ma'ri-us).— - The body of 

 the female is a little more than one half inch in length. The 

 cephalothorax is dull reddish yellow, with a pale yellow pubescens; 

 the cervical groove is nearly straight. The abdomen is dull 

 yellow, with an ashy yellow pubescens. 



Aptostichus dathratus (A. cla-thra'tus). — The body of the 

 female is one half inch in length. The cephalothorax is a dull dark 

 chestnut and nearly glabrous; the cervical groove is procurved. 

 The abdomen is dark bluish in front and brick coloured behind. 



Aptostichus stanjordianus. — The adult female measures 

 from two fifths inch to a little more than one inch in length. 

 The cephalothorax is tawny; the abdomen is yellowish brown, 

 marked above with a median series of dark brown blotches, and 

 lateral series of short linear spots. The male is unknown. 



This species, recently described by Mr. C. P. Smith, is found 

 in California. It makes a short burrow furnished with a trap- 

 door. 



Subfamily AVICULARIINiE (A-vic-u-lar-i-i'nae) 



The bird-spiders resemble the preceding and the following 

 subfamily in having the postabdomen situated immediately 

 above the spinnerets, in that the furrow of the chelicerae is well- 

 marked and in that the median furrow of the thorax is transverse 

 or elliptic; but they differ from both of these subfamilies in having 

 the tarsi of the legs furnished with a bundle of terminal tenent 

 hairs and in having the third claw wanting or obsolete. 



These are running tarantulas; a fact that might be inferred 

 from the armature of their tarsi; which are furnished with scopulae 

 and terminal tenent hairs. 



To this subfamily belong the larger tarantulas, those that 

 are most feared on account of their size. In South America there 

 is a species having a body two inches in length, and whose legs 



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