56 



Tridenchthonüdae Balz. The Obisiidae Hans, are divided into two subfamilies viz. 

 the Pseiidobisiinae Hans, with a galea and the Obisiinae Dad. without a galea; these 

 two subfamilies seem to be very nearly related to each other, the only sharp 

 difference being that found in the presence or absence of the galea; another of less 

 importance can perhaps be taken from the presence or absence of the tactile hairs 

 on the Jiand of the palps (cf. below). The Chthoniidae Hans, are also in other cha- 

 racters but the two-jointed tarsi of the first pair of legs well distinguished from 

 the Obisiidae Hans. viz. large antennae (cf. Balz. 12. p. 545), shape of the "epistoma" 

 (cf. Daday 11. p. 189), the calyciformed tibia of the palps (cf. 12. p. 545), the shape 

 of femur IV (cf. Hansen 49. p. 233 and this paper p. 6(5), and the presence of tactile 

 hairs on the hand of the palps; this family provides in the last character a 

 similarity to the Pseudobisiinae Hans. The Chthoniidae Hans, are divided into tbe 

 Chthoniinae Dad. without a galea and the Tridenchthoniinae Hans, with three galeae. 

 It is easily seen from the above, that I accept Hansen's system in almost all the 

 main points and therefore refer to it as set forth in the preceding exposition. The 

 reader is, as far as the minor points of the characteristics and the arrangement of 

 the genera are concerned, referred to the description of each single group. 



N. Banks has recently (1895. 50. p. 2) proposed a new system, in which he 

 uses the transverse sutures of the céphalothorax as the chief distinction between 

 the Cheliferidae Bks. and the Obisiidae Bks., the former family with one or two 

 sutures and the latter without. He consistently establishes a new subfamily the 

 Olpiinae Bks., including Atemniis Can. and Olpiiim L. Kock and forming part of his 

 family the Obisiidae Bks. on account of the missing transverse suture. Even if the 

 presence or absence of a transverse suture were a sure characteristic, this system 

 was doomed to vanish, because it is not supported by others more important. But 

 if we take into consideration, that it is doubtful, whether a species like Garypus 

 irnigatiis Sim. has a groove or not, and that many forms of the Cheliferidae Hans., 

 which are very similar to Atemnus Can., have sometimes almost or completely 

 obsolete sutures, even the foundation for this classification fails. 



II. About the Generic and Specific Characters, and the Description 



of Species. 

 Generic characters. — As far as the genera are concerned I refer to each 

 single family and subfamily, under which a discussion about their value and a 

 synoptic key of the established genera will be found. Most of the generally accepted 

 genera and subgenera are very badly defined and seem to be based on characters 

 of only minor value. Before we can succeed in getting well defined and natural 

 genera, we will be obliged to take a number of characters, different from those 

 used at the present time, into consideration; the organs, from which such characters 

 may be derived, differ considerably in the various groups. The specific characters 

 will be dealt with under each subfamily or genus; it may already now be noticed, 

 that the structures, from which the best characters are taken, are vastly different 



