398 ARACH NIDA—ARANEAE CHAP, 
pretty little spider, about a sixth of an inch in length, black, 
with iridescent hairs, and some white marks on the abdomen. 
It runs about in a very active ant-like fashion and does not 
object to the sunshine. It is fairly abundant in England. 
Fam.15. Palpimanidae.—This family includes a few genera 
of exotic spiders. They are especially characterised by the 
great development of their anterior legs, which are not much 
used for locomotion, but are frequently raised as the spider moves 
along, generally somewhat slowly, by means of the other three 
pairs. The best known genera are Metronaz and Stenochilus 
from India, Huttonia from New Zealand, and Palpimanus from 
the Mediterranean region, Africa, and South Asia. 
Fam. 16. Eresidae-—The Eresidae are a small family of 
cribellate spiders whose systematic position has been the subject 
of much discussion. In general appearance they resemble the 
Attidae (vide infra), but this resemblance is quite superficial. 
On the whole they seem more nearly allied to the following 
family than to any other. They are stoutly built, with thick, 
strong legs, and live either in the ground or on bushes, where 
they weave a close-textured web. One species, Hresus cinna- 
berinus, has occurred on rare occasions in the south of England, 
and the male, which is a third of an inch in length, 1s perhaps 
the most striking member of our Spider fauna, the abdomen 
being scarlet, with four (or sometimes six) black spots edged 
with white hairs. The cephalothorax is black, with red on the 
postero-lateral borders. The abdomen of the female is black. 
Fam. 17. Dictynidae.—Cribellate spiders, with oval cephalo- 
thorax and broad convex caput, with the eyes, normally eight, 
ranged across it in two straight or slightly curved transverse rows. 
Basal joints of chelicerae long and strong, often bowed. Leys 
rather strong. Tarsi three-clawed and devoid of scopula. 
The Dictynidae are sedentary spiders which weave a web of 
irregular strands, covered by the close weft which is the product 
of the cribellum. Some live under stones or in holes in walls, 
while others spin their webs in bushes or herbage. There are 
about sixteen genera, of which Dictyna and Amauwrobius are the 
most important. 
Nearly a hundred species of Dictyna have been described. 
They are small spiders, usually living in grass and herbage. 
Thirty species inhabit Europe and the neighbouring coast of 
