NOTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES OF AUSTRALIAN ARANEID.E — RAINBOW. 135 



NOTES ON THE ARCHITECTURE, NESTING-HABITS, and 

 LIFE-HISTORIES op AUSTRALIAN AR ANEID^, based 

 ON SPECIMENS IN THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



By W. J. Rainbow, F.L.S., Entomologist. 



Part IL— THE CRIBELLATiE. 



Simon, in his work, "Histoire Naturelle des Araignees" (second 

 edition), divides Spiders into two sub-orders, namely, Aranese 

 theraphosse and Aranse verse. Of these, the former was dealt 

 with in my last paper. The latter, which now claims our atten- 

 tion, is again divided into two sections — Cribellatse and Ecribellatse, 

 these terms signifying that those of the first section have what is 

 known technically as a cribellum and calarnistrum, whilst those 

 constituting the second section are not so provided. 



All the Spiders of the sub-order under consideration may be 

 distinguished from the Territelarife by their falces, which, instead 

 of being strongly porrected, as in the Aranete theraphosae, are 

 directed vertically or obliquely from their base; moreover, their 

 fangs strike sideways, the falces moving in a horizontal or oblique 

 direction, whilst those of the Trap-door Spiders are directed down- 

 wards, and move vertically parallel to one another. 



The Aranefe ver« cribellatse 

 are divided into eight families, 

 namely : Hypochilidse, Ulo- 

 boridte, Psechridse, Zoropidfe, 

 Dictynid3e,fficobiidfe, Eresidje, 

 and Filistatidae; and of these 

 the second, fifth, and eighth 

 are represented in Australia. 



The cribellum is an addi- 

 tional silk-spinning organ, and 

 is situated between and at 

 the base of the first pair of 

 spinners ; it consists of a 

 slightly elevated, transverse 

 plate, divided above into two 

 throughout their entire length. 



joint each, the apices of which are truncated, compressed, and 

 concave. The surfaces of these joints are minutely and numerously 

 punctured, and emit a quantity of fine, flocculent silk, which is 

 used in the construction of webs. 



%mmp' 



Fig. 15.— The Cribellum. 



parts, but united at the base 

 These parts consist of a single 



