157 



Genus Pholcus Walck. 



Characters. Chelieeres small, cylindrical ; maxillce long, 

 taperiiig to a point, inclined over the lip ; lip tvidest 7iear the 

 base, short; eyes eight, subequal, two in the middle in a trans- 

 verse row, three on each side placed together in the form of a 

 triangle ; feet excessively long, first jjair loiigest, then the second, 

 the third being the shortest. 



Habits. Araneides sedentary, making in dark corners a very 

 loose web of slender threads, crossed in all directions. Eo-trs 

 collected together without a silk covering, which the mother 

 carries with her ckeliceres. 



Remarks. This subgenus, by the extreme length of its legs 

 resembles Phalangium. The species belonging to it may be 

 found in apartments seldom visited, particularly churches or 

 caves. They shake their body, when threatened by an enemy ; 

 but seem to have very weak means of offence, and to feed on 

 the very smallest prey. 



Pholcus atlanticus. 



PI. 17, fig. 7. 



Description. Pale or livid yellow ; abdomen with more or 

 less distinct lines and spots ; chelieeres articulated together 

 [285] near the middle ; sometimes attaining four inches from 

 the end of the anterior to that of the posterior leg. 



Observations. This apparently powerless spider, no doubt 

 related to the Aranea p>halangioides of Europe, is found in the 

 dark cornei's of the ceilings of uninhabited houses, in loose 

 w^ebs scarcely strong enough to detain any, even small insects. 

 It is inactive, and never was seen by me with any prey, or 

 with the show of obtaining any. This ought not to be mis- 

 taken for the Phalangium which children call daddy-long-legs. 

 The female carries her eggs glued together, without a cocoon, 

 in her chelieeres. 



