xv CLASSIFICATION 391 



described almost all belong to the northern hemisphere. Five 



are natives of Europe, and two are included in the English fauna. 



The best known is Atypus aft/nis, Vfliidi has been found in several 



localities in the south of England, and 



which has occurred on the Devil's Dyke, 



near Cambridge. The female measures 



;i I ii nit hall' an inch in length, the male 



being smaller. It burrows a deep cylin- 



drical hole at the edge of a grassy or 



heathery bank and lines it with a loose 



lube of silk, which extends considerably 



beyond the orifice of the burrow, either 



lying flat on the ground, or raised up 



and attached to the neihbourin herbae. 



FlG _ ^z.- Atypus affiniSj ? . 

 There is no lid, but the upper end of the 



tube is always found closed, whether by its elasticity or by the 

 deliberate operation of the spider is not known. The animal 

 is nocturnal in its habits. Another species, A. leclcii, occurs very 

 rarely in the south of England. 



The genus Atypus has representatives in Central and South 

 Europe, North Africa, Japan, Java, and North America. Of the 

 other genera, Calommata inhabits Central and South-East Asia 

 and Japan, Brachyljothrium, Atypoides, and Hexv>~ arc peculiar 

 to North America, while Mecicobuf/i r'unn comprises a single species 

 f.l/! thorelli) native to the Argentine. 1 



Fam. 4. Filistatidae.--(7H&e//*!e fyriders of ///<"/ ,-nte size, 

 In-own or yellow in colour, with xi/uinth intfi/imi' 'nl* n<l 

 In, <n I n j><' rl nij leys. Tlir li/jlit eyes are coiiij><'tli/ 

 -n iii/i <l . mid t lie palpal organs of the male, are of */////>/ struc- 

 ture. 'Hi <i six spinnerets are .s7n*/7, tin- anterior pair /"/'//// ////>/, 

 Two put nnnmri/ sues, with two minute lr<ifl'<il 

 close behind /////!/ /in/I iri<l<li/ ^/ jiiiriili'. 

 There is but one genus, Filixluht, in this tannly. Abmn 

 fifteen species have been described, five of which inhabit the 

 Mediterranean region. Three are found in America, and others 

 inhabit Central Asia, the Philippines, and Australia. The 



1 The three families mentioned above n.nstitutr tin " AraneaeTheraphosai 

 Simon, the n-iiuiinin^ familii s lirin^ distinguished a "Araneae \ 'Ilic 



Aviculariidae ami the Atyi'idae are iiiiitid 1'V some authors in \'\-\\\ \\\>- 'l'lni;i 

 phosidae. 



