SUBDIVISIONS OF THE ARACHN^. 383 



which feeds upon the juices of a warm-blooded ani- 

 mal.* 



(344.) The Arachnce may be divided into — 1st. 

 Those which are the Vagahonda, which quit their dwell- 

 ings to chase and catch their prey; 2dly, The Wanderers, 

 which roam about in the vicinity of the nests they have 

 constructed, or the nets they have spread to entangle their 

 j)rey; and, 3dly, Those which are sedentary, which 

 construct large nets for the apprehension of their prey, 

 and in the centre or sides of which they lurk, awaiting it. 

 Among the Vagabonda, we find some with six eyes, and 

 others with eight. Those with six form either tubes or 

 cells of silk, within which they dwell; and these consti- 

 tute the genera Dysdera, Segestria, Uptiotes, &c. The 

 possession of eight eyes, we, however, find the most 

 prevalent peculiarity, being all but universal in this divi- 

 sion. Among the Vagabonda with eight eyes, we observe 

 the Runners, — those which run with agility to catch their 

 prey, including Lycosus, Sphasus, Ctenus, &c. ; the 

 Leapers, — those which leap and jump lightly upon their 

 prey, as Myrmecia, Eresus, Attus, or Sulticus, &c.; and 

 the Walkers, which walk laterally and backwards, and 

 occasionally spread nets to supply themselves with pro- 

 visions. 



(345.) In the second division, or Wanderers, we 

 find — 1. The Niditiles, which form a web of their nests, 

 whither filaments converge, by which they catch their 

 prey; they consist of Clubiona, Desis, and Drassus: 

 2. The Filiteles, which spread long filaments of silk 

 wherever they move, to catch theirs; and here we find 

 Clotho, Enyo, Pholcus, Sec: 3. Tayj/Zefes, which manu- 

 facture large webs of a close tissue, and within which 

 they reside, awaiting their prey ; and here we have 

 Tegenaria, Lachesis, &c. : 4. The Orbiteles, which con- 

 struct webs with open meshes, and formed either in 

 regular concentric circles, or in spirals, and which lurk 



• From a letter to me dated 7th April, 1840, brought by Mr. Gould 

 from Sydney. [W. E. Sh.] 



