NOTES ON LIFE-mSTORIES OF AUSTRALIAN ARANEID.^E — RAINBOW. 1 37 



This muscular action has the effect of entangling the silk as it is 

 voided, and giving to the snare, when completed, a somewhat 

 untidy appearance. It is nevertheless very effective in the capture 

 of prey, for the silk clings tenaciously to whatever touches it. 



Fig. 17. — Diagram illustrating radial lines andflocculent silk. A, radial 

 lines ; B, flocculent silk, produced by cribellum. 



Family ULOBORID^. 



This family is divided by Simon into four sub-families, namely, 

 Dinopinpe, Uloborime, Miagranimopinae, and ^butinina^. The 

 three tirst-nanied are represented in Australia. 



The Dinopiiise consists of two genera — Binopis, Macleay, and 

 Menneus, E. Simon. Of these, the former is distributed as follows : 

 "Africa tropica occid.; Nova-Hollandia et Nova-Caledonia."^ 



Nothing is known of the nesting-habits or architecture of these 

 interesting Spiders. I have on several occasions captured speci- 

 mens of the genus Dinopsis around Sydney when out collecting. 

 Usually they are found running over long grass or low shrubs. I 

 have never found a web made by one of these Spiders, although 

 i have searched for them diligently. Owing to their long, 

 attenuated bodies and legs, together with their colouration, it is 

 not easy to detect them unless they are moving, and when they 

 seek shelter by dropping down amongst the long, thick grasses, 

 searching is frequently in vain. 



Simon, who has spent much time in the field, and captured many 

 species oi Dinopsis, has never been so fortunate as to observe tlieir 

 architecture. Mr. H, B. Bradley, a Trustee of this Museum, some 

 years ago, personally collected numerous species of Australian 

 Araneidse. Many of these were figured and described in Koch's 

 Monograph, "Die Arachniden AustraJiens," and amongst them 

 ^re several species of Dinopsis. At the foot of the description of 



1 Simon— Hist. Nat. Araignees (2nd edit.), i., 1892, p. 210. 



