130 GENERAL ZOOLOGY 



to capture their prey; many are colored so as to closely 

 resemble the flowers in which they usually hide. The 

 Attidce, or jumping spiders, are very stocky. They do not 

 spin webs but hunt over the surfaces of plants, buildings, 

 etc. The Drassidce, ground-spiders, and Lycosidce, running- 

 spiders, also spin very little, but seek small animals on the 

 ground or among vegetation. Among the web-makers 

 there are four important families. The Agelenidce are 

 the tube-weavers or tent-weavers, which make flat snares 

 in the grass (Fig. 59). There is usually a little tube at 

 one side in which the spider lurks. The Lyniphiadce 

 build flat irregular webs; the Epeiridce make round orbs; 

 and the Therididce build irregular webs in the spaces among 

 vegetation. 



ORDER 2. SCORPIONIDEA 



Scorpions (Fig. 60) are confined to the warmer parts of 

 the earth. They are readily distinguished from other 

 arachnids by the character of the abdomen, which is very 

 slender behind and bears a poisonous sting at its tip. The 

 sting is used for paralyzing small animals captured for 

 food, but may also serve as a weapon of defense. Scor- 

 pions breathe through lung books, like spiders. They have 

 many curious mating habits. Some species dance; in 

 many the females carry their young about on their backs. 

 When a scorpion stings a human being there are usually no 

 serious consequences. The resulting irritation, pain, and 

 swelling as a rule cease in a day or two, but in some in- 

 stances even death may result. Stings are more serious 

 for children than adults. 



ORDER 3. PHALANGIDA 



The phalangids (Fig. 60) are commonly known as 

 " daddy-long-legs " or " harvest-men. 7 ' They always have 

 very long slender legs, the abdomen is distinctly segmented, 

 and there is no slender " waist" between the cephalothorax 



