ANCESTRAL SPIDERS AND THEIR HABITS. 



453 



fact may be readily seen by comparing Berendt's numerous figures of the 

 well preserved amber spiders with examples from corresponding genera. 

 (See Fig. 373, compared with Figs. 376 and 377, and the full page cut 

 further on.) 



The Florissant fossils are of course not so well preserved, but some of 

 the specimens retain their characteristics with sufficient distinctness to 

 compel the same conclusion. Scudder's figures, as they are displayed upon 

 his plate, might well stand for good drawings of a miscellaneous collec- 

 tion of damaged specimens of our living spiders. Compare his figure of 

 the fossil Orbweaver Epeira meekii, for example (Fig. 375), with our familiar 

 Epeira strix (Fig. 376) or Epeira insularis (Fig. 377). 



FIG. 375. 



FIG. 376. 



FIG. 377. 



Oldest 

 Known 

 Spider 

 Fossil. 



FIG. 375. Fossil spider of Florissant, Epeira meekii. (After Scudder.) FIG. 376. Existing spider 

 Epeira strix ; male. FIG. 377. Existing spider Epeira insularis ; male. 



Turning to the oldest known fossil aranead, Protolycosa anthrocophila 

 Romer, we are brought face to face with a species closely related to exist- 

 ing fauna. (Fig. 378.) Protolycosa belongs to the Carbonifer- 

 ous, being found in the argillaceous slate of Kattowitz, upper 

 Silesia. 1 Fig. 379 is an enlarged drawing, and Fig. 380 is an 

 outline restoration by the author. Romer placed the fossil near 

 the genus Lycosa of the Citigrades, which rank among the highest 

 of the araneads. Thorell, on the ground of the extremely coarse and short, 

 strong legs and palps, assigns it to the Territelariae, which puts it within 

 a closely related group, in which we have found the largest existing spiders, 

 Theraphosoidse, the Tarantulas, and such also, as possess the highest me- 

 chanical instincts, as Trapdoor spiders. The first apparition of the spider 

 is therefore by no means that of a low example, but one rather which 

 presents a plenitude of faun'al characteristics, and gives the possibility of 

 high industrial skill. 



Moreover, Protolycosa is nearly related to a living , species. Thorell 

 points out its marked resemblance to Schiodte's wonderful East India genus 



1 Neues Jahrbuch far Mineralogie, Geologic und Palaeontologie, Jahrg. 1866, pages 136- 

 143, Taf. III., Figs. 1-3. 



