XV 



CLASSIFICATION 387 



pendent chelicerae, the [>< Huron, directed forward and the unguis or 

 fany articulating in a vertical plane. The eyes are eight (exc<j>f 

 Masteria, six), usually compact, and situated on mi eminence. 

 Pedipalpi very leg-like, and palpal organs of male simple. J\'u 

 iiin.eillae. Four pulmonary stigmata. Spinnerets normally four . 

 Xo coin. /us. 



The Aviculariidae inhabit the wanner portions of the world, 

 and are entirely unrepresented in this country. The monster 

 spiders which excite wonder in zoological collections belong to 

 this group, as do the moderate-sized "Trap-door" Spiders which 

 are found abundantly in the Mediterranean region. 



The Family has been divided into about a hundred and fifty 

 genera, nearly half of which, however, contain only a single 

 species. 



They have been grouped by Simon l into seven sub-families, 

 PAKATROPIDINAE, ACTINOPODINAE, MIGINAE, CTENIZINAE, BAIIY- 

 CHELINAE, AYICULAPJINAE, and DIPLURINAE, of which the first 

 three may be dealt with very briefly. 



(i.) The PARATROPIDINAE include only two American species, 

 Paral, <>]><* scrupea from the Amazon, and Anisaspi* la,- ill if era 

 from St. Vincent. They have thick, rugose integuments, and the 

 internal angle of the 'coxa of the pedipalp is produced. The 

 labiuin is fused with the sternum, which is very broad. Nothing 

 is known of their habits, but as they do not possess a " rastrllus " 

 (see p. 320) they are probably not burrowing spiders. 



(ii.) The ACTINOPODINAE comprise three genera, Stasinoj>//* 

 represented by a single South African species, >$'. cajj'rii* : Eriilon, 

 of which about ten species inhabit Australia; and Actinopus, of 

 which about ten species are found in Central and South America. 

 They have the coxae of the pedipalps very short and broad, and 

 somewhat produced at thy internal angle. The eyes are not in 

 the usual compact un>up, but are somewhat extended across the 

 ea|ut. Ai-l'i in>i>u^ Inn-rows a dee]) cylindrical hole lined with 

 silk, and furnished with a round, bevelled trap-door. 



lii.) The sub-family MiciNAK is established lor the reception 

 1 't' three genera. .l/i:</</,-ii/</i (South Africa), .I////"* (Australia and 

 South-West Africa), and .!/////"/<', whose sin-le species, .)/. perroti, 

 inhabits Madagascar. They ;ire chiefly characterised by their 

 very short and downwardly-directed chelicerae. They are not 

 1 Hint. X,it. des Araigntes 1'ml ed. , i.. 1892, [. 7>'<. 



