42 



the back. The six spots under the thorax are indistinct, and in some 

 specimens united into two brown bands. 



Dorchester, Mass. April 27, on water. 



Swampscott, " May 8, " 



Dedham, " November 9, large number of young on a fence 



across a meadow. 



Albany, N. Y. J. h. e.] 



Genus MicROMMATA. Latr. (^Sparassus, Walck.) 



Characters. Cheliceres moderately strong ; maxillce parallel, 

 rounded at the extremity ; lip short, rounded, wider near the 

 base ; eyes eight, subequal, in tivo rows, the up)per one longest, 

 curved from the base towards the lower row ; feet long, slender, 

 second pair longest, then the first and fourth, the third being the 

 shortest. 



Habits. Araneides making no web for dwelling, but wan- 

 dering and casting some irregular threads to arrest their prey ; 

 making a tent among leaves for the protection of the cocoon 

 and the rearing of the young. 



Remarks. I could not adopt the two families of Walckenaer, 

 because the eyes, when large, are unequal; this shows the 

 great affinity between Micrommata and Dolomedes. My first 

 tribe, the Arcuatas, approaches A^ery closely to that subgenus, 

 particularly Micrommata undata. 



Tribe I. Arcuatje. Loiver roiv of eyes straight, middle 

 eyes of the upper row larger, or borne on tubercles. 



Tribe II. " Biarcuat^. Upper and lower roivs of eyes bent 

 and opposed, the lower being bent towards the base, eyes equal or 

 subequal. 



(^ArcuaicE.) 



1. Micrommata undata. 



PI. 6, fig. 7. 



Description. Testaceous or yellowish ; cephalothorax with 

 [193] a broad, brownish band; abdomen with a scalloped, 

 dusky band ; feet slightly marked with dusky. 



