Superfamily Argiopoidea 



which are about twice as long as the body. The colour of the 

 body is usually a dark brownish black without markings. But 

 1 collected many specimens under stones at Austin, Tex., that 

 appeared velvety black in some lights, in other lights they bore 

 a lead-coloured tinge. 



These arc sedentary spiders which live under stones, in 

 crevices about buildings, and in other similar situations. The 



Fig. 282. A DETAIL FROM Fig. 281 



spiders themselves are rarely seen, except by the collector, but 

 their webs are often very conspicuous, especially in the extreme 

 south. These webs are frequently built upon the sides of build- 

 ings and are more or less circular in outline, surrounding the 

 opening of the retreat of the spider. Figure 281 shows the char- 

 acteristic form and location of these webs; it represents the side 

 of a neglected building at Miami, Fla. In Fig. 282 some of 

 the same webs are shown less reduced. The webs of this spider 



292 



