12 BECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Suh- family DiPLURiNiE. 



Four genera of this sub-family occur ia Australia, namely : — 

 Brachythele, Auss. ( = Aname, L. Koch), Hapalothele, Lenz, ( = 

 Ixalus, L. Koch), Atrax, Oambr., and Hadronyche, L. Koch. 



The first of these has a wide range. Simon''' quotes it from the 

 Eastern Mediterranean region — Greece, Cyprus, Asia Minor ; 

 Central Asia ; South Africa ; Madagascar ; Australia and Tas- 

 mania ; North, West, and South America. Hapalothele occurs in 

 Madagascar ; Central America ; South America — Bolivia and 

 Brazil. ^^ 



These Spiders do not make terrestrial galleries, but, on the 

 contrary, owing to their sedentary habits construct rather large, 

 sheet-like webs, which are light, dense, and transparent, much 

 after the style of the Agelenida?. Hence they differ in many 

 essential points from the majority of those of the preceding sub- 

 families ; the apical extremities of the falces, for instance, being 

 devoid of teeth. Other distinctions are also apparent, but as these 

 have been fully defined by Simon,-' there is no need to repeat 

 them here. 



In conclusion, I would suggest that in future our friends, when 

 sending specimens to the Museum, should forward both architect 

 and nest. Such a donation would be of far greater value than if 

 the Spider or nest alone were sent. Where a nest is known to 

 exist, the tenant may be captured with it, if (before it has a chance 

 to escape) a little cotton-wool is inserted, and the lid closed down. 

 Then, by digging well and deeply round it, the whole may be 

 secured. If this be then placed in a suitable box, and well packed, 

 so as to prevent the soil breaking away, it may be carried safely. 



23 Simon— Hist. Nat. Araignees, (2nd edit.), i., 1892, p. 180. 



24 Simon— Loc. cit., p. 180. 



25 Simon — Hist. Nat. Araignees (2nd edit.), 1892. 



