Superfamily Argiopoidea 



tudinal band, and on the hind half there may be faint chevrons 

 (Fig. 300). The most distinctive characteristic is the form of the 

 epigynum (Fig. 301). 



The male is smaller and more slender. Figure 302 represents 

 the palpus, as figured by Emerton; the char- 

 acteristic features of this palpus are the great 

 length of the tibia and the shape of the apophysis 

 at the distal end of the tibia. 



This is one of the most common members 

 of the family. It lives under stones and other 

 objects lying on the ground. It makes a large 

 transparent bag of silk in which it lives, and 

 within which the egg-sac is made. The female 

 stays in this bag with the egg-sac until the 

 spiderlings emerge from it. Emerton states 

 that early in the summer a male and female 

 often live together in the nest, even before the 

 female is mature. I found a female in a bag Fig i02 PALPUS 

 with an egg-sac on July 20th; in this case the of drassus 



A A + „ + NEGLECTUS 



young emerged August 21st. (after Emerton) 



Genus DRASSODES (Dras-so'des) 



This genus is closely allied to Drassus, in fact the species 

 included in it were formerly placed in Drassus. In Drassodes 

 the margins of the furrow of the chelicera are armed with quite 

 prominent teeth, of which there are three on the upper margin 

 and two on the lower. In the males there is a shield on the base 



of the abdomen. 



The following is our only com- 

 mon species; the male of a second 

 species has been described by Mr. 

 Banks from California. 



Drassodes robustus (D. ro-bus' 

 tus). — The adult female meas- 

 ures from one third to nearly one 

 half inch in length. It is most eas- 

 ily recognized by the form of the 

 epigynum (Fig. 303); this is light coloured in the middle with a 

 curved, dark ridge on each side; sometimes the tips of these 



Fig. 303. EPIGYNUM OF 

 DRASSODES ROBUSTUS 



313 



