NOTES OX LIFE-HISTORIES OF AUSTRALIAN ARANEID^E— RAINBOW. 315 



introduced into this country, for old and dirty collections, 

 although free from Anthrenus, have frequently specimens covered 

 with fine cob-web. These tiny spiders run quickly, but with a 

 succession of jerks ; sometimes they progress by leaps. They do 

 not construct a web for the capture of prey. The cocoons are 

 very simple, white, sub-globose, and composed of flocculent silk, 

 the threads of which are irregular, yet nevertheless sufiicient to 

 cover the rather large eggs. Several cocoons are fabricated by 

 the female, and these are always within the vicinity of her retreat. 



Family HADROTARSID^. 



This family contains only two genera: Hadrotarsus, Thor., and 

 Gmogala, Keys. Their systematic position is uncertain.^ In some 

 respects they approach the Oonopidpe ; whilst, on the other hand, 

 they display strong affinities to some of the Theridiidse, notably 

 species of the genera Pholcoinrna, Thor., Paculla, E. 

 Sim., and Tetrablemma, Camb. Eich genus is repre- 

 sented by a single species, viz., Habrotarsus harhi- 

 russa, Thor., from Yule Island, New Guinea; and 

 Gmogala scarabeus, Keys., from Sydney. These 

 spiders are very minute, and nothing is known of 

 their spinning-work or life-history. I have not 

 -n- «►, seen Hadrotarsus, but the Museum collection con- 

 tains a single female specimen of 6'?no(/a^a scaraftews, 

 Keys. The Hadrotarsida? are furnished with eight eyes, and those 

 of G. scarabeus are figured herewith (Fig. 27). 



Family DYSDERID^. 



The Dysderidfe is split up into two sub-families: the Dysderinse 

 and Segestriinse, and each is represented in Australia — the first 

 by a single species, and the latter by three. 



The genus Dysdera, Latr., is recorded by Simon," as occurring 

 in "Europa et regio mediterranean Africa sept, et max. austr.; 

 ins. Atlanticse; Asia centr. ; America sept, et austr.," and I have 

 since recorded it from Sydney,^ and. described a species under the 

 name Dysdera austr alieasis. The Dysderids are nocturnal spiders, 

 lurking under stones, in cracks of walls, or dark, damp, mossy 

 situations. In such places as these they construct tubes of white 

 silk, the texture of which is very close and strong; scraps of dead 

 leaves are sometimes incorporated in the structure. Those I 

 have examined from under stones and from fissures, have been 

 free from all extraneous materials, whilst those constructed in 



6 Simon— ioc. cit., p. 805 j and Thorell — Ragni Malesi e Papuani, iii., 

 1881, p. 194. 



7 Simon — Loc. cit., p. 318. 



8 Rainbow— Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., xxv., pt. 3, 1900, pp. 483 and 485, 

 pi. xxiii., figs. 1, la. 



