220 



O. E. Beecher — Avthrolycosa antiqua. 



the oldest of the spiders, and the original figure has been 

 copied into text books and general works on Paleontology. 



A re examination of the type was make by Professor Samuel 

 H. Scudder in 1884,* and the only change from the original 

 description suggested by him was in the character of the ap- 

 pendages then considered as the palpi. The conclusions 

 reached were the following (loc. cit.) : " Having reason, by its 

 undoubted relationship to other forms of Anthracomarti, to 

 doubt the forcipulate character of the palpus, . . I find on 

 close examination that not only is the joint in question not 

 chelate, but it terminates by a straight transverse suture, and is 

 followed by a portion of another, apparently short terminal 

 joint." 



The specimen now shows that these members are not the 

 palpi, but are the anterior pair of legs. The true palpi have 

 been exposed, and the full number of cephalothoracic appen- 

 dages revealed, including the normal number of eight legs, the 

 palpi, and the mandibles. 



Figure 1 represents the specimen as it now is, and the orig- 

 inal illustration, figure 3, is introduced for comparison. 



Figure 1. — Dorsal aspect of type ; natural size. 



Figure 2. — Profile showing elevation of cephalothorax and position of legs. 

 a, a/ profile of palpi. 



Figure 3. — Original illustration. 



The cephalothorax is subcircular in outline, with a slight 

 sinus in the posterior margin for the insertion of the abdomen. 

 It measures about 10 mm in diameter. The surface gradually 

 rises toward the center, which is occupied by a deep rhom- 

 boidal pit marking the point of attachment for the muscle 

 moving the sucking stomach. From this point, radiating 

 grooves extend to the margin, indicating the ventral coxal 



* Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1884. A con- 

 tribution to our Knowledge of Paleozoic Arachnida, p. 15. 



