226 Hentz^s Descriptions of the 



side, and, whenever an insect touches one of the threads, the 

 spider issues out with the rapidity of a hawk and seizes its 

 victim, "which it carries immediately within. In damp, rainy 

 nights, the males and females are often found wandering from 

 their homes. The male, which is provided with very unusual 

 means of defence on its first pair of legs, is nevertheless ex- 

 cessively cautious in his approach to the residence of the 

 female. He advances with the utmost caution, remaining 

 motionless near the entrance for hours. This takes place in 

 October. I once observed a male in that situation, and wish- 

 ing to secure him, suddenly transfixed his cephalothorax with 

 a pin, when the female furiously rushed out and boldly grasp- 

 ed him, struggling to carry him off ; and she nearly succeed- 

 ed in robbing me of my prey, which she seemed to consider 

 her own. I have found this species hibernating in silken 

 tubes, along with various species of Attus, in December and 

 January. This proves that Dysdera jpumila is not a variety 

 of it. 



Habitat. North Alabama. 



PI. VIII. Fig. 3. Pylarus bicolor. $. a.Itstrophi. J. Its eyes. Fig. 4. Tlie 

 $ of Pylarus bicolor. a. Its right palpus. 



2 PYLARUS PUMILUS. 



Description. Livid yellow ; abdomen dusky on the disk 

 and towards the apex ; first and second pairs of legs with the 

 two last joints dusky ; hairy. 



Observations. This species is usually foimd under the 

 bark of trees, enclosed in silk tubes. 



Habitat. North Carolina, North Alabama. 



PI. VIII. Fig. 5. Pylarus pumilus. 



Genus. Filistata. Latr. 



Characters. Cheliceres small^ incapable of reciprocal 7710- 

 tion, fang very small ; maxillae bent and surrounding the 

 lip J terTninating in a point ; lip more than half the length of 

 the maxillcB, widest in the middle j ending in a point ; eyes 

 eight, subequal, placed closely together on a common elevatio?i, 



