CLASSIFICATION OF SPIDERS. HUNTING SPIDERS. 



217 



arrangement of the mandibles and eyes, which corresponds very 

 remarkably with their respective modes of life. These families, 

 and their principal subdivisions, are as follows : 



I. VENANTES, incessantly run- 

 ning or leaping about the 

 vicinity of their abode, to 

 chase and catch their prey. 



II. VAGANTES,wanderingabroad, "| 

 and incessantly looking out 1 

 for prey. No fixed residence V 

 except at the period of ovi- j 

 position. J 



III. ERRANTES, prowling about 

 the neighbourhood of their 

 nests, or near the threads 

 which they throw out to 

 catch their prey. 



IV. SEDENTES, spinning large 

 webs to entrap their prey, 

 lying in wait in the middle 

 or at the side. 



V. NATANTES, swimming in 

 water, and there spreading 

 their filaments to entrap 

 their prey. 



LATEBRICOLJE, hiding in holes and fissures. 

 TUBICOL*:, inclosing themselves in silken tubes. 

 CELLULICOL.E, sheltering themselves in small 



cells. 



CURSORES, running swiftly to catch their prey. 

 SALTATORES, leaping and springing with agility 



to seize their prey. 



LATERIGRADJE, walking and running sideways or 

 backwards ; occasionally throwing out threads 

 to entrap their prey. 



, going abroad, but making a web for 

 their nests, whence issue threads to entrap 

 their prey. 



FILITELE, going abroad, but spreading long 

 threads of silk about the places where they 

 prowl, in order to entrap their prey. 



TAPITEL^E, spinning great webs of a close texture, 

 and dwelling therein to catch their prey. 



ORBITEL.SE, spreading abroad webs of a regular 

 and open texture, either circular or spiral, and 

 remaining in the middle or on one side to 

 catch their prey. 



RETITEL.E, spinning webs of an open meshwork, 

 and of an irregular form, and remaining in the 

 middle or on one side to seize their prey. 



AQDITEL.*:, spreading filaments in the water to 

 entrap their prey. 



754. The first family, that of the VENANTES, or Hunting- 

 Spiders^ may be naturally divided into two groups; the first 

 being more sedentary, and the second more active. At the 

 head of the first group stands the tribe of LATEBRICOUE, which 

 consists of the genus Mygale (Fig. 435) and its allies ; these are 

 the largest of the whole family, some of them occupying, in a 

 state of repose, a circular space of six or seven inches in diameter. 

 They form their nests in the slits of trees, beneath the bark, in 

 the cavities of stones and rocks, or on the surface of the leaves 

 of various trees. Some of them burrow deeply into the ground, 

 choosing dry shelving situations exposed to the sun, and con- 



