ON EUROPEAN SPIDERS. 75 
Among the exotic genera related to our Theridioidæ, we may men- 
tion the genus NMimetus HENTZ 1), remarkable for its long mandibles and 
its roving habits, and which seems to form a link between the Epeiroidee and 
Theridioidæ; as also Thalamia HENTZ?), which has its eyes posited in four 
transversal rows, the 2" pair of legs longest, the 1“ pair shortest, and 
which forms a tubular dwelling of silk in the crevices of walls. These 
genera cannot easily be inserted among our Theridioidæ (sub.-fam. Theri- 
dine) otherwise than as types of separate sub-families. The exotic genus 
Phoroncidia WESTW., which by its spiny abdomen so closely resembles Acro- 
soma (PERTY) and Pycnacantha BLACKW., and which by WEsTWOOD?) is referred 
to the Zpeiroide, is by CAMBRIDGE‘), in all probability rightly, assigned to 
the Theridioide. Another (Brazilian) genus, with a three-spined abdomen 
and belonging to the Theridioidæ, has lately been described by Sımox under 
the name of Zirithena*). A somewhat similar spider appears to belong to 
the European fauna: for OÖ. G. Costa has, in Fauna del Regno di Napoli, 
Araen., Tav. II, fig. 8, figured a Theridium-like species, the abdomen of 
whieh shows three small pointed processes, one on each side and one behind. 
That spider has however never been described nor named. 
The European genera adopted by us may be thus distinguished: 
8. Abdomen petiolo longo, nodoso cum cephalothorace unitum. 2. Formicina. 
SS. Petiolum brevissimum, angustum (ut in araneis plerisque). 
+ Oculi non in tres turmas dispositi, neque inter se valde inæquales. 
A. Oculi laterales inter se spatio minore disjuncti, quam quo distant medii 
antiei a mediis posticis. 
* Pedes aeuleis sparsis armati. Oculi laterales sæpissime contingentes. 
(Palpus feminæ ungue sæpissime instructus). 
A. Oculi medii in trapezium antice angustius dispositi: maxillæ pa- 
ralleliter porrectæ vel in labium paullo tantum inclinatæ. 
I. Oculi medii antici a margine clypei spatio non breviore di- 
stantes, quam quo a mediis posticis distant. Cephalothorax 
MOUCENCONVEXUS ww I On eonypiia: 
II. Oeuli medii antici a margine clypei multo minus distantes, 
quam quo a mediis posticis distant. Cephalothorax robustus, 
eonvexior MAM MN cr Er OLA RÖDE: 
1) On North Amer. spiders, p. 104; — Aran. of the United States, in Bost. Journ. 
of Nat. Hist., VI, p. 31. 
2) Aran. of the United States, loc. cit. p. 34. 
3) Insect. Arachnoidumque nov. dee. duo, p. 452. 
4) Descr. of a new gen. and six new species of spid., p. 270. 
5) Sur trois Araignées nouv., p. 9. 
