172 T. THORELL, 
misiens”, uniting Micrommata (Sparassus) with the former?) The same 
two groups are also adopted by PRACH ?), who calls them Philodromi and 
Cancroides. According to our method they constitute sub-families, and may 
be called Philodromine and Thomisinæ. The sub-family Anetine we have 
added merely provisionally for the as yet too imperfectly known genus 
Anetes MENGE. 
The exotic genus Arcys WALCK. *) ought, it seems to me, to be con- 
sidered as the type of a separate sub-family, Arcyinæ, which shows strong 
analogies with certain Æpeiroide, as Gasteracantha (SUND.) and Peniza 
THOR. ). With the Arcyinæ, Anetes might perhaps also be united. 
WESTRING and BLACKWALL have divided the Thomisoidæ belonging 
to the European Fauna, with which they were acquainted, into only three 
genera, Thomisus, Philodromus and Sparassus. C. KocH detached from Tho- 
misus the genus Xysticus, and from Philodromus the genera Artamus and 
Thanatus 5), which three new genera have been adopted by SIMON, OHLERT 
and others. SIMON adds one more European genus, Oxyptila 9) SIMON 
however in a paper lately published 7) has abandoned his former division 
of the Thomisoidæ. Not satisfied with taking the genus Thomisus in as 
extensive a meaning as that which it bears in WALCKENAER’S latest works, 
he also unites with it Monastes Luc. (Monwses NOB.), and even wishes to 
suppress Philodromus WALCK., because that genus only differs from Zho- 
misus, "by a greater equality between the eight legs." But the greater part 
of the European genera of e. g. the family Attoidee adopted by Simon 5), 
are most assuredly as nearly connected with each other, and exhibit among 
. themselves quite as evident transitions as the above Thomisoid genera, and 
it cannot be right in estimating the value of generic characteristics to follow 
one rule with one family and another with another °). 
1) Hist. Nat. d. Araignées, p. 392. 2) Monogr. d. Thomisiden v. Prag, p. 8 (604). 
3) I possess one species of the genus Arcys from New Holland, kindly presented 
by Prof. LEUCKART, which appears to be identical with A. Zancearius WALCK. Spe- 
cies of that genus have else only been found in South America (Brazil, Chili). 
4) Vid. THORELL, Eugenies Resa, Arachn., 1, p. 10. 
5) Uebers. d. Arachn.-Syst., 1, p. 25—28. 
6) Hist. Nat. d. Araignées, p. 440. 
1) Sur quelques Araignées d'Espagne, p. 285. 
8) Simon, Monogr. d. espèces Europ. de la fam. d. Attides, p. 6 (16). 
9) The very principle on which Srwow's view of the connexion of the above- 
mentioned Thomisoid genera appears to rest, viz. that all genera, whieh gradually 
pass into each other, ought to be united in one, appears to me quite wrong. The 
case is just the same with genera as with families, orders, classes, etc., nay even 
