412 AKACHNIDA ARANEAE CHAP. 



Its interesting egg-cocoon lias already been alluded to (see p. 

 o58). E. tuberculata lias been found on rare occasions in this 

 country. There are about ten other species of Ero, all small 

 spiders, and living in temperate regions. The genus Mimetus 

 (in which is merged Blackwall's Ctenopliorct) includes a number 

 of larger, more strongly-built spiders, living for the most part 

 in tropical countries. 



The genus Gelanor (Gcdena*) 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-like. 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. 



(i.) The THOMISINAE (MISUMENINAE of Simon's Hist. Nat.} 

 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 Xysticus 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 in length. 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 Misumena, Diaea, and Thomisus. Misumena 

 rntia is a handsome species, the female measuring sometimes 

 more than a third of an inch, and having its large yellow or 

 given abdomen marked, in many specimens, with a pair of bright 

 red bands, which, however, are not always present. The males 



