NOTES ON THE ARCHITECTURE, NESTING HABITS, and 



LIFE HISTORIES of AUSTRALIAN ARANEID^E, based 



ON SPECIMENS IN THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



By W. J. Rainbow, F.L.S., F.E.S., Entoinolijoist. 



(Fig. 3.) 

 Part v.— ENTELEGYN.(E (vonfinufd). 



Family PHOLCTD^. 



The genus Fholcnn, Walck., was erected by C. Koch, in 1S50, tu 

 family rank.' Prior to this date, it had been inckided in tlie 

 family TheridiidiF. Simon, in his masterly work,'- lius defined its 

 position, and to this the student is I'eferred. 



The family Pholcidse has since been divided into two sub- 

 families — the Pholcinse and Ninetidinye. With the first of these, 

 twenty genera are now associated, of which thi'ee occur in Aus- 

 tralia : the second embraces only one {Xiupfis, Sim.), and its 

 habitat is defined as " Arabia felix."' 



The genus Artmna, Walck., has a wide range, its distribution 

 being: "Africa tota : Arabia; Asia occid., centr. et merid.; 

 Malaisia et Polyne.sia ; America antillana et merid."* This being 

 so, it is quite possible tl'.at it may liereafter be recorded from the 

 Australian I'egion. 



The genus FholcuK, Walck., is exceedingly ubicjuitous, its range 

 being : " Orbis utriusque reg. calid. et temp. ""' Only one species 

 — P. litoralis, L. K. — is known to me as occuii'ing in Australia. 

 It has been recorded from Rockhampton and Biisbane, and is 

 very common in the neighbourhood of Sydney, where it is known 

 popularly as " Daddy Longiegs." 



The Pholcidie are of sedentar}^ habits, and are most fre^juentl)' 

 met with in buildings, whei-e they construct theii- webs in the 

 angles of walls and ceilings. Their snares are irregularly con- 

 structed, the lines comprising them being drawn in e"\ery con- 

 ceivable direction. The Pholcid* have been formed into a ^■roup 

 under the name of Filiteles, from their habit of spinning long fila- 

 ments of silk whenever or wherever they move. When an insect 



1 C. Kocli— Ueb. Ar. Syee., v., 1850, p. 31. 



- Simon — Hist. Nat. des Araignees, 2nd Ed., i., 1892, p. 456. 



•'' Simon — Loc. cit., p. 487. 



^ Simon — Loc. cif., p. 466. 



-' Simon — Loc. cit., p. 471. 



