PREFACE, 
Our celebrated countryman. Dr. Martin Lister, in his admirable ‘ Tractatus de Araneis,’ 
has given a classification of the species he has so ably described, founded on their external 
organization and economy, which has formed the basis of every subsequent attempt, deserving 
of notice, to effect, a systematic arrangement of this interesting order of animals. 
Since the publication of Dr. Lister’s treatise in 1678, little attention has been bestowed 
upon the natural history of spiders in this country, till within the last thirty years ; and we are 
indebted for almost every advance which has been made in it during that long interval of time to 
the talent and industry of the continental zoologists, particularly those of France, Sweden, and 
Germany. 
Under these circumstances, it is hoped that the present imperfect endeavour to supply that 
desideratum in the zoology of Great Britain, a history of our indigenous spiders, adapted to the 
existing state of arachnological science, will be regarded with due consideration for the 
numerous and great difficulties by which the undertaking is surrounded. 
Although a large addition has recently been made to the knowledge of our native species of 
Araneidea, yet the subject is far from being exhausted ; a wide field still remains to be explored 
by succeeding arachnologists; and if the present work should tend to promote and facilitate the 
researches of others in this department of zoology, one of the most important purposes which it is 
intended to subserve will be accomplished. 
In taking the dimensions of spiders, it is desirable that the relative length of their legs should 
be ascertained with .exactness; and this object may be conveniently attained by submerging the 
specimens to be examined in spirit of wine till life is extinct; then, on removing them to a piece 
of white cardboard and carefully extending the limbs with a pin, while they are pliable, their 
extent, from the margin of the cephalo-tliorax to their extremity, may be taken with a pair of 
compasses, which on being applied to a scale of inches and parts will give their measurement. 
The length of species is determined by measuring them from the anterior part of the cephalo- 
thorax to the extremity of the abdomen, not including the falces and spinners. 
