1899] DISTRIB UTION OF THE ARA CHNIDA 2 2 1 



whole of Central America (with the possible exception of the Mexican 

 plateau), the Bahamas, the West Indies, the tropical parts of South 

 America, and even as far south as Patagonia. This region seems 

 divisible into three sub-regions — the Central American, characterised 

 by the genus Plirynopsis and the species of Admit us uf the whytei and 

 fuse i ma /U's type, and by the absence of Heberophrynus and of the 

 species of Admetus of the palmatus type. It comprises Central 

 America with part of Lower California and of Texas. Secondly, a 

 Brazilian sub-region containing all the countries of South America to 

 the north of the Amazons, and especially characterised by the presence 

 of Het&rophrynus. Species of Admetus of the fusdmanus type invade 

 the western side of this sub-region from Central America, and species 

 of the palmatus type, abundant in the West Indies, are also spread 

 throughout the area. Thirdly, an Antillean sub-region seems recog- 

 nisable owing to the absence of Meterophrynus and Plirynopsis, the 

 scarcity of species of Admetus of the whytei and fuseimanus types, 

 and the presence of those of the palmatus type, which, although also 

 occurring in the Brazilian sub-region, seem to be absent from Central 

 America. To the south of the Brazilian sub-region, a Patagonian sub- 

 region characterised by the absence of Admetidae and the presence of 

 Damon, one of the Tarantulidae, may be recognised. This sub-region 

 extends far to the south in Patagonia, but its northern limit is as yet 

 unfixed. 



The second region, easily recognisable, may be termed the Malayo- 

 Papuan. It is characterised by the Charontidae, and extends, so far as 

 is known, from Burma in the west to New Caledonia and Samoa in 

 the east, including all the islands of the Indo- and Austro-Malayan 

 areas, but not, so far as has been ascertained, any part of Australia 

 or Xew Zealand. 



And lastly, there is in the Old World the area occupied by the 

 Tarantulidae, comprising Africa south of the Sahara, South Arabia, 

 India, Ceylon, and Siam. For this region the term Indo-African may 

 be applied. The distribution of the genera of this family seems to 

 warrant the recognition of two sub-regions — a western or African, 

 characterised by the presence of the genera Titanodamon and Damon ; 

 and an eastern or Indian, characterised by the almost complete absence 

 of the last-named genera and the presence of the genus Tarantula. 

 This sub-region will comprise South Arabia, India, Ceylon, and Siam. 

 The extension of the genus Tarantula into East Africa and of Damon 

 into Arabia forbids the ascription to these areas of a greater than sub- 

 regional importance. 



Distribution of the Solifugae. 



The Order Solifugae is divisible into three families : — The Hexiso- 

 podidae contains the single genus Hexisopus peculiar to South Africa. 



