CLASS— AKACHNIDA. 



Order — Araneidea (or True Spiders) 



FAMILY— THERAPHOSIDES 



HE only British representatives of this family are 

 rather aborrant from tho general type ; still it will not 

 be out of place to give some few details of it including, 

 as it does, the Giants of the Spider Tribes, as well as some others 

 (notably the Trap-door Spider) of very great interest. Almost 

 all are either " tropical "or " subtropical." They aro generally 

 of robust build, more or less covered with coarse hairs and 

 pubescenco, and of an uniform dull hue. With one exception, 

 they have eight eyes ; those are groupod, in general, on a some- 

 what raised tuberculif orm plateau on the fore part of tho caput. 

 The f alces are articulated horizontally, and have a vertical, or up- 

 and-down movement. The cephalo-thorax is broad, but usually 

 flattened above, with very strongly marked converging indenta- 

 tions, especially that at the thoracic junction. The abdomen has, 

 on its under side, a quadrangle of more or less bare, roundish, 

 patches, two on eithor side towards the fore extromity ; each of 

 these patchos has a transverse slit or oponing bohind it, forming 

 the entrance to the spiracular, or breathing organs. The spinners 

 are four or six in number, and frequently two of them are 

 of extra length, turning upwards and backwards ovor the hinder 

 parts of the abdomen. Examples of this family occur in South 

 America, reaching the great expanse of ten inches from tip to 

 tip of the outstretched legs ; the body itself (that is, the cephalo- 

 thorax and abdomen) measuring throe inches in length. 



