1904.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 293 



portion, and from that point to its posterior margin its dorsal contour 

 is almost straight without any demarcation of a posterior declivity ; the 

 posterior declivity is only slightly marked in arenicola and carolinensis ^ 

 but well marked in baltimoriana and texana. In latijrons also the che- 

 licera are very large and thick. The first row of eyes is about as broad 

 as the second, except in texana. The other characters are essentially 

 those of Lycosa. 



This genus is better demarcated from Lycosa than either Pardosa 

 or Trochosa. All the species dig deep cylindrical holes in the ground, 

 and some of them build a low turret of sticks around the aperture 

 {arenicola, latifrons, texana). This burrowing habit has occasioned the 

 thickness of the first pair of legs, and occasioned also the height of the 

 cephalothorax in front by the greater development of the muscles there. 

 Lycosa fatifera Hentz probably belongs to this genus, but Hentz's very 

 brief description: "Bluish ])lack; cephalothorax deeper in color at the 

 sides; chelicera covered with rufous hairs and vnth. a red elevation on 

 their external side near the base; one of the largest species," is insuffi- 

 cient. He states it "is common in Massachusetts," and this, together 

 with his description of its tube, makes it possible that he had either a 

 light variety of carolinensis or an unusually large and dark specimen 

 of arenicola. 



Key to Species of Geolycosa. 



a. 1. — Lateral eyes of the first row larger than its middle eyes, whole 



venter deep black, carolinensis. 



a. 2. — Lateral eyes of the first row not larger than its middle eyes, 

 whole venter not black. 

 h. 1. — Patellae black below, almost the whole venter behind the 

 lung-books deep black, this black not including lighter 



markings, haltimoriana. 



b. 2. — Not so colored. 



c. L — First eye row distinctly shorter than the second, pos- 

 terior declivity of cephalothorax describing an angle 



with the dorsal contour, texana. 



c. 2. — First eye row fully as broad as the second, posterior 



declivity of the cephalothorax in a line with its dorsal 



contour. 



d. 1. — Coxae and femora of legs I and II black below, 



venter with a median black band, . arenicola. 



d. 2. — Not so colored, latijrons. 



Geolycosa texana n. sp. PI. XVIII, figs. 13, 14. 



(Numerous specimens from Austin. Texas.) 



Eyes. — First row nearer the second than the clypeal margin, de- 



