Superfamily Argiopoidea 



are usually some near the tip of the abdomen, not shown 

 in the figure. 



In the banding of the abdomen this species bears more or 

 less resemblance to Castianeira cingulata; but the two species 

 are easily separated by the fact that in this species the legs are 

 banded with black, while in C. cingulata they are striped. 



In habits this species resembles the two described above. 

 Figure 658 is from a photograph of an individual that had lost 

 when young two of its legs, the left front and the right hind one, 

 and these legs were being reproduced. 



Genus MICAR1A (Mi-ca'ri-a) 



The members of this genus are small slender spiders, in which 

 the median furrow of the thorax is wanting or faintly indicated, 

 and in which the lower margin of the furrow of the chelicerae 

 is armed with only one small tooth. The endites are slightly 

 depressed in the middle. The abdomen, and usually the cephalo- 

 thorax also, is covered with flattened scales, which are sometimes 

 brightly coloured and iridescent. The anterior legs are usually 

 not armed with spines. 



These are exceedingly active spiders, which are found in dry 

 and sandy places, where they hunt their prey, even in the hottest 

 part of the day. Thirteen species have been described from our 

 fauna, of which the following is the most common. 



Micaria longipes (M. lon'gi-pes). — This species measures 

 from one fifth to one fourth inch in length. It is light yellow- 

 brown in colour, with gray hairs and scales, which have, on the 

 abdomen, green and red metallic reflections. The abdomen 

 is slightly constricted in the middle of its length, and opposite 

 this constriction there is on each side a white bar; these give the 

 spider a more or less ant-like appearance. At the front end of the 

 abdomen there is another pair of less distinct white bars. 



Subfamily CORINNINiE (Cor-in-ni'nae) 



In this and in the preceding subfamily the last segment of 

 the hind spinnerets is very short, frequently indistinct, and sub- 

 spherical. In this subfamily the median furrow of the tho- 

 rax is distinct; the apex of the endites is rounded, not at all 



580 



