412 ARACHNIDA—-ARANEAE CHAP. 
Its interesting egg-cocoon has already been alluded to (see p. 
358). #. tuberculata has been found on rare occasions in this 
country. There are about ten other species of Ho, all small 
spiders, and living in temperate regions. The genus J/imetus 
Gn which is merged Blackwall’s Ctenophora) includes a number 
of larger, more strongly-built spiders, living for the most part 
in tropical countries. 
The genus Gelanor (Galena) is the American representative of 
the group, its three species being rather large spiders, inhabiting 
Central and South America. The males of this genus have 
remarkably long and slender pedipalpi, much longer than the 
whole body. 
Fam. 27. Thomisidae—The Thomisidae are the Latigrade 
spiders of Latreille, and the “Crab-spiders” of popular nomen- 
clature. Their legs are extended more or less laterally instead 
of in the normal fore and aft directions, and their progression is 
frequently strikingly crab-lke. They form a very large group 
of more than 140 genera, including spiders of every size, and 
they are to be found in every quarter of the world. Forty-three 
species are British. Many strange forms are included in this 
group, and several of the sub-families into which it has been 
divided contain only one or two genera. The bulk of its members 
fall into the sub- families THOMISINAE, PHILODROMINAE, and 
SPARASSINAE. 
G.) The THOMISINAE (MISUMENINAE of Simon’s Hist. Vat.) 
include what may be called the more normal members of the family, 
distributed among more than sixty genera. Six of these genera 
are represented in the British Isles. Our commonest Crab-spider 
is probably Yysticus cristatus, abundant everywhere in grass and 
herbage. Young specimens may often be seen upon iron railings 
in the autumn. Twelve other species of that genus are on the 
British list. They are of small or moderate size, rarely exceeding 
a quarter of an inch inlength. <A closely allied genus is Oxyptila, 
of which we have seven species. The more striking members of 
this sub-family to be found in England are our single representa- 
tives of the genera Miswmena, Diaea, and Thomisus. Misumena 
vatia is a handsome species, the female measuring sometimes 
more than a third of an inch, and having its large yellow or 
green abdomen marked, in many specimens, with a pair of bright 
red bands, which, however, are not always present. The males 
