l82 THE SPIDERS OF EPPING FOREST. 



English language. True it is that the study can boast of 

 abundance of valuable embellishments bestowed by such well- 

 known scientists as Mr. F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, the Rev. 

 John Hull, Dr. G. Carpenter, etc., but the foundations laid in 

 this country by the untiring industry of Mr. John Blackwall and 

 the Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge can hardly be expected to 

 support the rapidly-increasing structure of araneological science 

 superimposed by a few earnest students of this much-neglected 

 order. A practical difficulty, too, presents itself in the scarcity of 

 copies of Mr. Blackwall's Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland and 

 the Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge's Spiders of Dorset, and in the 

 face of such facts I may be allowed, perhaps, to add my iota to 

 the splendid efforts of these veteran araneologists. 



In the hope of affording assistance to prospective students 

 of the order I feel justified in devoting a considerable portion of 

 the space at my disposal to the consideration of the anatomy and 

 classification of the Araneae, trusting that opportunities will 

 arise later for the publication of more detailed generic and 

 specific descriptions. It will be obviously impossible to publish 

 full drawings of all the species enumerated, but I hope to 

 illustrate many of the more important specific distinctions, by 

 means of which the collector will be enabled to recognise at 

 least the commoner and more striking of the Epping Forest 

 Spiders. I find from experience that simple, diagrammatic 

 drawings are of far greater practical value than heavily shaded 

 productions of a more pretentious character, and I propose to 

 model the present illustrations in accordance with this belief. In 

 generic and specific descriptions, similarly, style and effect must 

 be sacrificed to clearness, even at the risk of frequent iteration 

 and monotony of expression. 



Jn order to facilitate reference the subject matter might, I 

 think with advantage, be arranged as follows : — 



I. Anatomy, including description of anatomical 



terms. 

 II. Classification. 



III. Practical I^Fo?'^, including collection, examination, 



and preservation of specimens and noting of 

 habits. 



IV. Literature. 



