296 J. H. Emerton — N'eio Enxiland Epeiridce. 



The spiders which I have examined are chiefly from the same 

 localities as the Therididue described iu Traus. Couu. Acad., vol. vi, 

 pp. 1 to 80, but owing to the greater ease of finding Epeiridce, the 

 common species have been taken at many more places and I have had 

 much more lielp from other collectors. Besides my own collection I 

 have examined tliose of Bowdoin College, Cornell University, Yale 

 College, H. C. McCook of Philadelphia and Geo. Marx of Washington. 

 I have also received specimens from J. B. Tyrrell, Toronto, Canada. 

 From the Adirondacks and Rocky Mountains from F. A. Bowditch of 

 Boston. From the neighborhood of Boston from S. Henshaw, and 

 from many other places and persons. 



The Epeiridae are distinguished from other spiders by their 

 round webs formed of radiating threads crossed by others which are 

 covered when fresh with a sticky fluid that collects on them in drops. 

 These webs and the way in which they are made have been often 

 described. The radiating lines are first spun and tightened by many 

 irregular short cross lines at the center. Then a spiral line is begun 

 |)assing around the center, at first with the whorls very close together, 

 then suddenly widening it is continued to the outside of the web 

 with the whorls as far apart as the spider can reach. The sticky 

 spirals aie then begun at the outside close together and as they cross 

 tlie line of the first spiral, the latter is bitten away, leaving in the 

 finished web only little thickened spots on the rays to show its 

 course. PI. xl, fig. 1. Toward the center of the web the sticky 

 spirals are usually a little closer until al>out the length of the spider's 

 longest legs from the center, where they stop, leaving a ring witliout 

 cr<jss lines around the closer part of the first spiral. When the web 

 is finished the spider is thus left in the center where it can hold itself 

 without interfering with the sticky threads until something is caught. 



Tlie E]>eirida' usually have the abdomen large, short and thick, so 

 that they walk awkwardly on a flat surface, their natural position 

 being back downward holding to the web by their feet. 



"^Phe ce])halothorax is usually wide and the head low with the eyes 

 around the front, not over the back as in some families. The lateral 

 eyes are usually very close together, and separated far from the 

 middle pairs. 



The mouth ))arts are short and stout, except in Tetragnatha, the 

 niaxilhe and labium rounded at the ti]>s. PI. xl, fig. 6. 



The markings of the abdonu'n usually form, as in some TlKridi<la', 

 a wide scolloped stripe which has been called the " folium,'" usually 

 bordered by a dark and light stripe and enclosing one or more pairs 



