PULMONARI^E. 331 



vance their four anterior legs in a straight line, and extend the two last in 

 an opposite direction; those of the third pair project laterally. 



These Arachnides construct webs similar to those of other Orbitelae, but 

 they are looser and more horizontal. They will completely envelope the 

 body of a small coleopterous insect in less than three minutes. 



TETRAGNATHA, Lat. 



The eyes placed four by four on two nearly parallel lines, and separated 

 by almost equal intervals; jaws long, narrow, and only widened at their su- 

 perior extremity. The chelicerae are also very long, in the males especially. 

 The web is vertical. 



EPEIRA, Walck. 



The two eyes on each side approximated by pairs, and almost contiguous; 

 the remaining four forming a quadrilateral in the middle. The jaws dilate 

 from their base, and form a rounded palette. 



The cucurbitina is the only species known whose web is horizontal; that 

 of the others is vertical, or sometimes oblique. 



Some place themselves in its centre in a reversed position, or with their 

 head downwards; others construct a domicil close by it, either vaulted on 

 all sides, or forming a silky tube composed of leaves drawn together by 

 threads, or open above, and resembling a cup or the nest of a bird. The 

 web of some exotic species is formed of such stout materials that it will ar- 

 rest small Birds, and even impede the progress of a Man. 



Their cocoon is usually globular; that of some species, however, is a trun- 

 cated oval, or very short cone. 



The natives of New Holland and those of some of the South Sea Islands, 

 for want of other food, eat a species of Epeira, closely allied to the Jiranea- 

 esuriens, Fab. They are numerous. 



We now come to Spiders that are sedentary, like the preceding, but 

 which have the faculty of moving sideways, forwards and backwards, in a 

 word, in all directions. They constitute our section of the LATERIGRADJB. 

 The four anterior legs are always longer than the others; sometimes the 

 second pair surpasses the first, and at others, they are nearly equal; the ani- 

 mal extends them to the whole of their length on the plane of position. 



The chelicerx are usually small, and their hook is folded transversely, as 

 in the four preceding tribes. Their eyes, always eight in number, are fre- 

 quently very unequal, and form a segment of a circle or crescent; the two 

 posterior kteral ones are placed farther back than the others, or are nearer 

 to the lateral margin of the thorax. The jaws, in most of them, are inclined 

 on the lip. The body is usually flattened, resembling a Crab; the abdomen 

 is large, rounded, and triangular. 



These Arachnides remain motionless on plants, with their feet extended. 

 They make no web, simply throwing out a few solitary threads to arrest 

 their prey. Their cocoon is orbicular and flattened. They conceal it be- 

 tween leaves, and watch it until the young ones are hatched. 





