Superfamily Avicularioidea 



group of eyes is twice as wide as long; the anterior median eyes 

 are situated in the middle of the group and are very small com- 

 pared with the other eyes. 



Hexura picea (H. pic'e-a). — The body measures a little 

 more than one fourth inch in length. The chelicerae are long 

 and project forward in a prominent manner; the distal portion 

 is armed with spines in the male. 



This species occurs in the State of Washington. 



Family ATYPIDiE (A-typ'i-dae) 



The Atypical Tarantulas 



The tarantulas constituting the family of Atypidae are dis- 

 tinguished from the typical tarantulas, the Aviculariidas, by the 

 form of the coxa of the pedipalps, which bears a large conical 

 lobe, the endite (Fig. 226), and by the more complicated form 



of the palpus of the male, which 

 approaches more nearly the form 

 seen in many true spiders. The 

 bulb of the palpus is of the 



,.-<ym. 



emb.-- 



Fig. 226. 

 PEDIPALP OF ATYPUS 



con. 



Fig. 227. TARSUS OF MALE OF 

 ATYPUS BICOLOR 



intermediate type, the apical division consisting of two distinct 

 parts, an embolus and a conductor of the embolus (Fig. 227). 

 The presence of an endite does not, strictly speaking, dis- 

 tinguish the Atypidae from the typical tarantulas; for in some of 

 them thecoxa bears a small lobe (Fig. 2 12), which is really an endite; 

 but this lobe is very small compared with the endite of Atypus. 



252 



