THE SPIDERS OF EPPING FOREST. iBj 



etically this is so ; but as this latter denomination has 

 been ahnost universally adopted by arachnological 

 writers I see no pressing necessity for the alteration. 

 The legs are terminated by two or three curved and 

 usually pectinated Tarsal Claws. These are almost 

 always attached to the tarsus itself, but occasionally to 

 a small supernumerary joint known as the Onychiuni. 

 In some species a dense cluster of hairs is found beneath 

 the extremity of the tarsus, known as a Claw-tuft, and a 

 similar structure sometimes extends along the inferior 

 surface of the joint, it being then known as a Scopula. 

 In some families the metatarsi of the fourth pair of legs 

 are each furnished with two closely set rows of short 

 curved bristles, forming a kind of comb. This organ, 

 known as the Calamistnim is always co-existent with a 

 supernumerary spinning organ, and by its aid a peculiar 

 flocculent web is drawn from this spinner and spread 

 upon the snare. The calamistrum is absent in the adult 

 male, whose spinners, however, are similar to those of 

 the female. The relative length of the legs is often of 

 some importance in classification, and is usually 

 expressed by a formula. Thus IV., I., II., III., would 

 indicate that the fourth leg was the longest, the first 

 coming next in length, and the third the shortest. 

 When two legs are of equal length the numbers denoting 

 them are connected by a hyphen. Tibia I., tarsus IV., 

 and similar expressions are often used, denoting the 

 tibia of a leg of the first pair, tarsus of a fourth leg and 

 so on. The legs are furnished with hairs, and usually 

 with spines also. 



Abdomen. The posterior great division of the body is known 

 as the abdomen. With the exception of one rare exotic 

 species it exhibits no distinct segmentation, unless, 

 indeed, the small Anal Tubevcle which is often present 

 may be regarded as a segment. The abdominal integu- 

 ment is usually pliant and non-resistant, but occasionally 

 it becomes more or less coriaceous. 



Spinners. Towards, or at the posterior extremity of the 

 abdomen are several pairs of appendages known as the 

 spinners. These organs vary in number in different 



