334 IJECOUD.S OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



note that it is able, when it drops upon still water, to skim 

 across the surface. Certain spiders, such as those of the 

 genus DoJomedes, Latr., have long been known to possess tliis 

 habit, but one would hardly have associated such with the 

 Argiopidje. Personally, I am inclined to think that so far as 

 Tetragnatha is concerned it is only resorted to as a last resource, 

 — that is, when the creature finds itself so situated, and with its 

 retreat cut off. Indeed, if a floating stick or leaf be near, it will 

 instantly avail itself of it. Dr. H. C. McCook has recorded an 

 American spider — T. [p-allator, Hentz^'^ — that has acquired this 

 aquatic habit, but he also points out that when it is skimming 

 over the surface of the water, it stands high upon its legs, i-aises 

 its abdomen, and pays out threadlets of silk, much after the 

 manner of aeronautic spiders, and that these threadlets act as a 

 sail. 



The Metea^ introduce the student to a group of comparatively 

 small, yet extremely brilliant spiders. The groups consists of ten 

 genera and many species. Of these genera two, i.e., Meta, C. 

 Koch, and Ar<jij)-oepeira, Emei't., occur in Australia. The range 

 of Meta is " Orbis totius, reg. temp, et calidje"''^ ; and of Aiyijro- 

 '•peira, "Orbis totius reg. tropica} rarius sub-tropica?."''' The 

 genus Orsinome, Thor., although not yet known to occur in Aus- 

 tralia, may nevertheless be hereafter recorded, at any rate from the 

 more northern and tropical areas ; at present its range is defined 

 as " Malaisia ; Polynesia et ins. Madagascar. '""'- 



All our Australian species have been assigned l)y authors to th^^ 

 genus Meta, but notwithstanding this some are undoubtedly 

 Aryyroepeira. One species described by L. Koch (from an im- 

 mature female) is regarded Ijy Thorell as a very young Xephila 

 macuJata, Fab."' namely Meta urnata. I am inclined to regard 

 this, however, (notwithstanding the eminent position of the 

 authority quoted), an error. There is in our cabinets a species of 

 Meta from the Jenolan Caves district, which agrees so closely witli 

 Koch's description and figure, that I have no hesitation in 

 assigning it to that author's species, namely, Meta ornata. 

 Further, I liave examined many species of Araneidie from the 

 Jenolan Caves district, and have not yet met with a Nephila ; 

 indeed, I doubt if that genus occurs there ; the winter is 

 too cold. __^_^^ 



1'^ McCook — American Spiders and their Spinning Work, 1889, i., pp. 158- 

 161, figs 151, 152. 



1'^ Simon — Hist. jVat. des Araignees, 2nd ed., i., 1892, p. 735-6. 



i"" Simon — Loc. cit., p. 736. 



15 Simon — Op. cit. 



1'' Thorell — Kagni Malesi e Papuana, i, p. iv., 1889; also iii., 1881, p. 150. 



" Koch — Aracli. Austr., i, p. 13-1, pi. xi., fig. 6. 



