2 jo Kew : Snares or Snap-nets of Triaiigle Spiders. 



Hyptiotes, though anomalous, has undeniable affinity with 

 Uloboriis ; and from various considerations, especially in view of 

 the presence of the cribellum and calamistra, these two genera 

 have been placed by a number of arachnologists, including 

 Blackwall, among- the tube-weaving spiders, in or near the 

 Amaurobiidae ; * and this has been done even by Ausserer and 

 Emerton, who were acquainted with the character of the 

 spinning-work. Thorell, however, who has paid much atten- 

 tion to the classification of spiders, has no hesitation, on 

 structural grounds, as well as with regard to habits and 

 industry, in placing Hyptiotes, as well as Uloboriis, among the 

 orb-weavers ; he makes for these genera a sub-family Ulobo- 

 rinse, of equal value with Epeirinas, which together make 

 up the great family Epeiroidae of this author ; other recent 

 authorities, I believe, though they break up the family, speak- 

 ing of Epeiridae, Uloboridse, etc., do not venture to disturb the 

 general relationship which Thorell's classification implies. It 

 is interesting in this connection to recall that the snare of 

 Uloboriis, unlike that of Hyptiotes, has the appearance of an 

 ordinary full-orb. 



Although the snare of Hyptiotes is so peculiar and so unlike 

 that of any other known spider, it is easily seen, says Thorell, 

 that it cannot be looked upon as a separate or independent form 

 of web, and that, on the contrary, it must be classed with the 

 orb-w T ebs of other Epeiroids ; 'here, as with them, it consists of 

 radii diverging from a point, united by threads running con- 

 centrically; the difference is simply that, whereas with the other 

 species belonging to the 'family it forms a closed circle, with 

 Mithras [Hyptiotes] it is but a circular sector.' A transition, 

 Thorell adds, ' may in a certain sense be looked for in the case, 

 of which one sometimes meets with examples, where, in the 

 common circular net, the interval between two radii is left open 

 bv the circular threads being terminated at these radii.' The 

 author here refers, evidently, to 'sectoral orbs,' which are well 

 represented, not only by Nephila, but also by Zilla, in which 

 latter the small uncrossed sector is traversed by a single free- 

 radius or trap-line. Another more evident transition, Thorell 

 thinks, is furnished by a web noted by Darwin in a lofty valley 

 of the Cordillera, near Mendoza; this singularly-formed snare 

 consisted of strong lines radiating in a vertical plane from 

 a common centre, where the spider had its station ; two of 



* Ciniflonidae. 



Naturalist, 



