ISO 



THE COMMON SPIDERS 



In some, especially the larger males, the cephalothorax is 

 bright orange and the legs partly of the same color. The 

 females vary considerably in size, but are otherwise much alike. 



The peculiarities are in the males. 

 The head is about half the length of 

 the cephalothorax and abruptly raised 

 and rounded on the top (fig. 361). 

 Along the sides of the thorax are 

 small pointed teeth of various sizes 

 in a single irregular row (fig. 362). 

 The mandibles are very much thick- 

 ened in the middle and have a row of 

 teeth on the front outer side (fig. 364). 

 The palpi of the males are sometimes 

 as long as the whole body and of a 

 complicated shape. The femur is 

 curved upward and forward and has 

 a row of little teeth on the under side. 

 The patella and tibia are together 

 about as long as the femur. The 

 patella has at the end a straight tooth 

 directed downward with a short point 

 (fig. 361). The tibia is widened at the 

 male. 362 back of cephaiotho- g^j where it Spreads around the base 



rax of male enlarged sixteen '■ 



times. 363, female. 364, man- of the tarsus. The maxillas are much 



Figs, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365. Eri- 

 gone dentigera. — 361, side of 



dible of male, 

 male. 



-iGi, maxilla of 



thickened and the bases of the palpi 

 spread wide apart (fig. 365). The 

 palpi are usually carried doubled up in front of the head, with 

 the curved ends of the femora just below the eyes and the palpal 

 organs over the ends of the mandibles. The legs of Erigone 

 are only moderately long, and they walk easily, like the small 

 Drassidae. They move slowly and are not easily frightened, so 

 that at the time of flying they can be closely watched. 



