Superfamily Argiopoidea 



DD. Abdomen without basal humps. P. 419. Meta 

 BB. Anterior median eyes much smaller than the others; 

 clypeus wide. P. 424. Nesticus 



AA. Lateral eyes of each side distant. 



B. Posterior median eyes small and close together. P. 425. 



DOLICHOGNATHA 



BB. Posterior median eyes equal to the posterior lateral in 

 size and widely separate. P. 425. Azilia 



Genus HENT7IA (Hentz'i-a) 



The cephalothorax is oval, with the median furrow in the 

 form of a circular pit. The abdomen is cylindrical, much longer 

 than wide, and is furnished with a hump on each side near the 

 base; this characteristic distinguishes the members of this genus 

 from Meta which they closely resemble in the characteristics 

 presented by the eyes and mouth-parts. 



Only a single species has been found in our fauna. 



The Basilica Spider, Hentfia basilica, (H. ba-sil'i-ca). — The 

 adult female measures from one fourth to nearly one third inch 

 in length. The cephalothorax is yellow or olive, with a blackish 

 median stripe, and with the margin dark. The cylindrical 

 abdomen projects forward over the thorax and backward beyond 

 the spinnerets. It is yellow striped with blackish brown; 

 the folium extends the entire length of it. On the basal 

 half of the length of the abdomen, the folium is wide, and 

 consists of a median dark line, and on each side two dark lines 

 extending back from the hump; alternating with these dark 

 lines are yellow or yellowish bands. On the caudal half of the 

 abdomen, the folium is narrower and more nearly solid in 

 colour. Figure 430 represents a side view of this spider with 

 the legs removed. 



This spider was first discovered by Doctor McCook and its web 

 described by him. He has given an extended account of it in the 

 first volume of his "American Spiders." As I have never seen 

 the species in the field, I make a condensed statement of this ac- 

 count. The web was a composite one, consisting of an irregular 

 net and an open silken dome, suspended within it. Beneath 

 the dome, and from two to three inches distant, there was a light 

 sheet of cobweb, which may have been the collapsed remnant of 



417 



