THE DRASSID/E 



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from the middle pair than these are from each other (fig. 3). 

 The middle eyes are oval and oblique, diverging toward the 

 front. The maxillae are large, and rounded on the outer 

 corners. The mandibles are large and strong, with a wide, 

 flat, serrated tooth (fig. 5) under the claw. The cocoon is 

 white and flat, with a diameter as great as the length of the 

 spider. The female, as far as I have observed, 

 makes no nest, but partly lines with silk a shal- 

 low hole, in which she nurses her cocoon. 

 It lives under stones and leaves as far 

 north as the White Mountains and west to the 

 Rocky Mountains in British Columbia, and on 

 the Pacific coast in Oregon. A smaller and 

 similar species, Gnapkosa brumalis, 

 lives on the top of Mount Washing- 

 ton and as far north as Labrador. 



Pythonissa imbecilla. — About quarter of an 

 inch long, bright orange brown on the 

 cephalothorax and legs and blue black on 

 the abdomen, with a few white hairs around 

 the muscular spots. The legs are covered 

 with fine long hairs a little darker in color 

 than the skin. The cephalothorax is wide 

 behind and more narrowed in front than in 

 Gnaphosa. The eyes (fig. 6) are close together, 

 and the lateral eyes of both rows are larger 

 than the middle pairs and a little farther back 

 on the head. The maxillae (fig. 8) are short 

 and wide, and bent toward each other so that they nearly meet 

 in front of the labium. The front edges are nearly straight and 

 the outer corners only slightly rounded. The sternum is wide 

 and almost circular. The tarsus of the female palpi tapers 

 from the base to the tip. 



Figs. 6, 7, 8. Pytho- 

 nissa imbecilla. — 7, 

 female enlarged four 

 times. 6, the eyes 

 seen from in front. 

 8, the maxillae, la- 

 bium, and ends of 

 mandibles from be- 

 low. 



