On EUROPEAN SPIDERS. 159 
6 spinners, the mandibular claw directed inwards, not backwards, and only 
(wo air-sacs, so that it is destitute of all the characteristics that usually 
distinguish the spiders belonging to the sub-order Territelarie. Even La- 
TREILLE, who first ?) referred it to his ” Zubiteles”, assigned it in his later 
works, in consequence of the erroneous assumption that it had 4 "pul- 
monary” sacs, to his Jetrapnewmones or the Territelarie. C. Koch ?) 
gives it the same systematic position. DUGES referred it to his ” Micro- 
gnathes” or " Seythodés" *), a group, that comprises spiders of widely separated 
families, but which agree with each other in the structure of the mandibles. 
(Conf. p. 99). Simon, who rightly insists upon the relationship of the Filista- 
toidæ with the Drassoide and other Tubitelariæ, forms for them a separate 
"tribus", " Filistatiens ou Mygalo-drasses”, within the family ” Drassiformes” 9). 
Lastly, in AUSSERER 5), as also in CANESTRINI and PAVESI 5, we find the 
family Filistatide placed between Mygalide and Dysderide. 
It is strictly speaking only by the position of the eyes, that Filistata 
agrees more with the Zerritelari®e than with the Tubitelariæ, and it seems 
chiefly to have been this agreement that induced WALCKENAER and C. Kocx 
to refer Filistata to the first-named sub-order. Mandibles directed some- 
what forwards and united at the base 7), form a feature occurring in many 
other genera which have never been referred to the Territelariæ, and especially 
among the Seytodorde, which we unreservedly consider as the nearest rela- 
latives of the rlistatoide. The parts of the mouth exhibit the same struc- 
ture in both these families, and also in Filistata the weak mandibles, armed 
with a very small claw, remind an observer of the two-fingered claw of the 
Opiliones, by their having a spine or tooth at their extremity opposite the 
claw. Both families appear to have been developed from a common root: 
the Scytodoide form the beginning of the series of genera, which constitute 
the sub-orders Retitelarie and Orbitelariæ, while from the Filistatotde and 
forms nearly related to them the other sub-orders have probably descended. 
The general appearance of the Filistatoidæ is very peculiar and un- 
like that of other spiders: it reminds one most of certain Scytodoidæ (Loxo- 
sceles) and Theraphosoidæ, but also of some T'ubitelarie, e. g. Uroctea. Their 
1) Cuv., Règne Anim., III, p. 83. (1817). 
2) Uebers. d. Arach.-Syst., 1, p. 35; ibid., 5, p. 76. 
3) Observ. sur les Aran., p. 106. 
4) Hist. Nat. d. Araignées, p. 95. 
5) Die Arachn. Tirols, I, p. 140. 
6) Aran. Ital., p. 23. 
7) In F. capitata HENTZ, they are however not united at the base, according to 
Hentz, Aran. of United States, in Bost. Journ. of Nat. Hist., IV, p. 228. 
