J. H. Emerton — New England Epeiridm. 297 



of spots on each segtneut ; those of the two front st'gnients being 

 usually larger and brighter than the others. These markings can be 

 seen on the figures on Plates xxxiii and xxxiv. 



Like Theridid;e the Epeiridie have three claws on the feet and, 

 under the claws, stiff toothed hairs. The middle <-law is shorter 

 than the others and has two or three short teeth. The lateral claws 

 have more and larger teeth varying in different individuals, on dif- 

 ferent feet and according to the species. The inner chiAv also differs 

 from the outer as shown on PI. xl, figs. 3, 4, 5, The toothed spines 

 have also a definite number and arrangement. 



The spinnerets are short and closed together when not in use so 

 that the middle pair are concealed. Between the i'ront pair of spin- 

 nerets is a short process covered with hairs but witliout s[)inning tubes. 



The males are. smaller than the females and have a smaller abdo- 

 men and longer legs sotne of which are often thickened or otherwise 

 modified in shape. The difference between the sexes is greatest in 

 the genus Argiope, in which the females become very large about the 

 time for laying eggs. 



The copulating organs are described in the following descriptions 

 of the two sub-families. 



The genera Uloborns and Hj/ptiotes, which have been placed in 

 this family by Thorell and others on account of the resemblance of 

 their webs to those of Epeiridae, seem to me to belong more properly 

 with the Ciniflonida^ with which they agree in having the calamis- 

 trum and cribellura and in the structure of the adhesive thread by 

 which their webs are crossed. This classification is followed by 

 Simon in Arachnides de France and by Bertkau in Archiv fur Natur- 

 geschichte, 1882. Leaving out these I divide the family into the 

 two following sub-families. 



Epeirinse. 



This group includes all the family except Tetragnatha and P</chi/- 

 gnatlui. They are generally short and stout spiders with the abdomen 

 round and plainly marked. The head is low and wide. ThemaxilUe 

 and labium are short and rounded. The mandibles are short and 

 stout. Tlie male palpi are large without a movable hook on the 

 tarsi. The }»al[»al organs are generally rounded and have a short 

 tube but long terminal hook and other appendages. The epigynum 

 varies greatly in different genera but always has external hard pai'ts. 



The following genera belong in this sub-family. Epeira^ Shiga, 

 Zilla, Micropeira, Cgclosa, Acrosoma, Cyrtarachne, Argiope, Argy- 

 roepeira. 



