Superfamily Argicpoidca 



highway and in a dark tunnel through which water was flowing. 

 It is a widely distributed species; Simon states that it is found in 

 .Madagascar as well as in America. 



The webs are usually inclined; but they vary from vertical 

 to horizontal. The spider hangs from the hub of the web but 

 when disturbed, retreats quickly by means 

 of a trapline, to the rocks supporting the 

 web. The orbs are of moderate size, from 

 six to ten inches in diameter. The hub is 

 open; the notched aone is narrow, usually 

 consisting of from three to five turns; the 

 clear space is wide; and the viscid spirals 

 are from fifteen to thirty in number. 



Meta must be a very patient hunter. \ 

 rarely observe insects in its web, which are 

 almost invariably in perfect condition at all 

 times of theday. On the other hand this spi- 

 der suffers little from competition in its dark 

 and damp retreats. Occasionally a Theridion 

 tepidariorum builds a web in the same cave. 



The egg-sacs are large (Fig. 433), snow-white, and so trans- 

 lucent that the ball of eggs can be seen within. They are sus- 

 pended from the roof of the cave, near the web, by a short thread. 



Genus LEUCAUGE (Leu-cau'ge) 



The members of this genus can be separated from Meta, to 

 which they are closely allied, by the fringe of hairs on the posterior 



femora (Fig. 434); 

 and by their much 

 more brilliant col- 

 ouring, being green 

 and silver - white, 

 with bronze and 

 sometimes copper- 

 red markings. 

 These spiders are 

 even more closely 

 allied to the 

 following genus, from which they can be distinguished by the 

 absence of the armature of the first two pairs of legs characteristic 



Fig. 433- EGG-SAC OF 

 META MENARDII 



42 1 



