Family THERIDIID/E. 
Much diversity in the brilliancy and disposition of their colours is observable among the 
spiders of this family. They have the falces articulated vertically, or on an inclined plane, 
and the abdomen is furnished with three pairs of spinners and two branchial opercula. The 
legs differ considerably in length in different species, and the tarsi are terminated by three or 
more claws, the additional ones, when present, being very minute. 
Trees, shrubs, herbage, interstices in rocks and walls, the inferior surface of stones, and 
the inside of buildings are the haunts most congenial to the Tkeridiida, which have a wide 
geographical distribution. Their snares consist of fine lines intersecting one another in 
different planes and at various angles; in extent and complexity they are greatly diversified, 
and present the appearance of being constructed without any regular plan. 
Genus THERIDION {Walch). 
Eyes disposed on the anterior part of the cephalo-thorax in two transverse, converging- 
rows; they do not differ greatly in size, and the four intermediate ones usually form a square, 
but in some instances they describe a trapezoid. 
Maxilla long, inclined towards the lip, and obliquely truncated at the extremity, on 
the outer side. 
Lip short, semicircular, triangular, or quadrate. 
Legs either long and slender, or of moderate length and strength ; the first pair is 
usually the longest, then the fourth pair, which sometimes exceeds the first in longitudinal 
extent, and the third pair is the shortest. 
