XI. — New England Spiders of the Families Dbassid^, 

 Agalenid^e and Dysderid^e. By J. H. Emerton. 



Drassidse. 



The Drassidm have long bodies like the Agalenidce and Lycosidce, 

 but most of them are a little flattened above and walk with their 

 bodies near the ground ; the first and second feet are directed for- 

 ward and the third and fourth backward. The feet have but two 

 claws, under which is usually a cluster of hairs sometimes so thick 

 as to conceal the claws. The under sides of the tarsus and metatarsus 

 are sometimes covered with hairs, especially on the first and second 

 legs, and these hairs are often flattened or thickened at the end. 

 The ce})halothorax is low in front, the highest part being in the 

 middle or farther back. The eyes are in two nearh^ straight rows. 

 The spinnerets are cylindrical with the tubes on the end, and the 

 upper and under pairs are nearly equal in length. 



None of the Drassidm make webs for catching insects, though 

 many of them make nests, usually flattened tubes, in which they 

 hide in winter or while moulting or laying eggs. Most of them live 

 on the ground and hide under leaves and stones. A few, as Gluhiona, 

 Ghiracanthium, and Anyphmna live in summer on plants several 

 feet above the ground. 



Many species are found adult at all seasons and probably live 

 several years. 



The cocoons are flat, some are attached by one side, but most of 

 them lie loose in the nest or hiding place. 



A large number of American species were described and figured 

 by Hentz, most of them under the generic name Herpyllus. Of 

 these I have identified nine : II. descriptus., crocatus, alarms, ecclesi- 

 asticus, ater, h'dineatus, variegatiis, and Cluhiona saltahunda, pallens. 

 Several others have been described by Thorell, and of these I have 

 identified Gnaphosa hrumalis Thor., Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 

 vol. xvii, 1875, and Gnaphosa conspersa, G. scudderi, and Prosthe- 

 sima melancholia Thor., Bulletin Hayden's U. S. Geol. Survey, vol. 

 iii, No. 2, 1877. The specimens of this family in the Museum of 

 Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, Mass., have been named by 

 Keyserling, and I have adopted his names for several species though 

 they are not yet published. 



