356 



[29]); the name sEhtrops may perhaps be retained for the species 

 belonging to Parthenia C. Koch ("Groupe fasciatus" Sim.)- On 

 the other hand it appears to me probable, that some few additional 

 new genera ought to be formed, one, for instance, for A. imperialis 

 Rossi and the spiders nearly related to it. 



I find with pleasure that Simon approves the position assumed 

 by me, that genera, the distinction of which rests upon characteri- 

 stics taken from only one sex, without regard to the other, ought 

 not to be accepted; and I venture to express the hope and wish, 

 that this naturalist, who by the rich materials of which he is in 

 possession, is best fitted for the work, will soon give to the world 

 as clear and intelligible an account of the characteristics of the fe- 

 males of the European Attoid-genera which he acknowledges, as he 

 already has given of those of the males. As regards the 17 "groups" 

 into which (loc. cit , p. 134 [10]) he divides his great genus Attus, 

 they appear indeed generally to be very natural; but for one, who 

 is not previously acquainted with a pretty large number of species, 

 it is, as I can from my own experience testify, sometimes very diffi- 

 cult to decide, in which "group" of this very numerous genus to 

 seek for an unknown species ; and it would therefore be highly desir- 

 able to have — more especially for this genus and for Heliophanus — 

 analytical tables of the species, such as for instance L. Koch has 

 given for the species of all his Drassoid-genera in his well-known 

 work, Die Arachn.-fam. d. Drassiden; it would however here be best 

 to have separate tables for the males and females. Whether the cha- 

 racteristics employed in such a table be "natural" or "artificial", is 

 a matter of no importance, as the object of the table is only to fa- 

 cilitate the examination of unknown species. In treating groups 

 comprising so many species and presenting such difficulties, as just 

 for example the genera Attus (Walck.), Sim. and Heliophanus C. Koch, 

 the practical handyness of his work is just what an author ought 

 least of all to lose sight of. There are unhappily too many, who 

 seem to write merely because it amuses them, and never trouble 

 themselves about the unnecessary trouble and loss of time, which 

 the study of their works occasions to others. 



(Pag. 542.) I. SALTICUS [= Salticus (Lair.) 1804]. 

 On this genus vid. Thor., On Eur. Spid., p. 208. 



