Superfamily Avicularioidea 



expand more than seven inches. The habits of this spider were 

 described by Madam Merian two hundred years ago. She stated 

 that it destroyed small birds; this suggested the name of the 

 typical genus, Avicularia, and also the popular name Bird-spiders. 

 (See p. 185, 186.) 



The Aviculariinae rarely dig true burrows; but make use of 

 natural cavities in the ground or in trunks of trees. Correlated 

 with this fact is the absence of a rake of the chelicerae. Simon 

 states that they line the cavities in which they live with a close, 

 but light and transparent web, which is always less extended 

 than that of the Diplurinae, and is without a tube-shaped retreat. 

 They are nocturnal, watching in the evening for their prey, which 

 consists almost always of large beetles. Simon also states that 

 their eggs are numerous, and are enveloped in a cocoon of white 

 tissue, which certain species carry in the chelicerae till the young 

 emerge. 



Our known species represent four genera, which can be sep- 

 arated by the following table. 



TABLE OF GENERA OF THE AVICULARIIN^E 



A. Tibiae and metatarsi of the third and fourth pairs of legs 



with very few spines. 



B. Anterior eyes subequal, in a very strongly procurved 



line; anterior tibia of male furnished with one spur 



at the apex. P. 246. Avicularia 



BB. Anterior eyes unequal, median eyes nearly twice as large 



as the lateral; anterior eyes in a slightly procurved or 



nearly straight line; anterior tibia of male with two spurs 



at the apex. P. 246. Tapinauchenius 



AA. Tibiae and metatarsi of the third and fourth pairs of legs 



with many spines. 



B. Metatarsus of the fore legs thickly scopulate to the base 



and usually without basal spines. P. 243. Eurypelma 



BB. Metatarsus of the fore legs with scopula not reaching 



the base; with basal spines. P. 242. Rhechostica 



Genus RHECHOSTICA (Rhe-chos'ti-ca) 



The scopulae of the anterior metatarsi do not reach the base 

 of the segment, covering only about two thirds of the segment; 



242 



