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Show 722 MR. F. O. PICKARD CAMBRIDGE ON [June 16, The division Oplsthothelce is subdivided into two suborders similar in their extent to those of M . Simon, for which Mr. Pocock has selected the names Mygalomorphae and Arachnomorphce. So recently as March 1, 1895, Dr. Thorell (' Descript. Catalogue of the Spiders of Burma') has selected two new names for two similarly constituted suborders-Parallelodontes and Antiodontes referring of course to the articulation of the mandibles. These two suborders are apparently equivalent to M. Simon's " Araneae Theraphosae''' and "Araneae Verce," and to Mr. Pocock's "Mygalomorphae" (excluding Liphlstlus) and " Arachnomorphce." Which of these names are most suitable ? One might suppose that those which referred to some important character would be the most convenient; but such is not necessarily the case, since, for instance, the division into Tetrapneumones and Blpneumones was entirely suitable until the discovery of " Hypochilus," with four lung-books, and the fact that "Nops" had no lung-books but four tracheal stigmata: so that, although Dr. Thorell's terms " Parallelodontes" and " Antiodontes" are suitable as referring to an important differential character of the two groups, yet these, too, are liable to be laid aside, when perhaps some form is discovered offering in itself characters proving it to belong to both suborders. As a matter of fact, tbe names which have less direct reference to such characters are in reality after all more convenient, and indeed suitable, and certainly a single name is more convenient than a double one-" Mygalomorphae " than "Araneae Theraphosce," for instance. For these reasons I have retained tbe terms " Mygalomorphce" and " Arachnomorphce " in the present paper; while I can see no reason for substituting the new family name Aviculariidoe of M. Simon for the older and quite as suitable name Theraphosidce of Thorell, following Walckenaer. Family THERAPHOSIDCE, Thorell. List of Genera, Species, and Subspecies from the Lower Amazons from January to March, 1896-including twelve genera, fourteen species, and one subspecies : of these, four genera are new, eleven are new species, one a new subspecies, and one the male sex of which is new to science. Subfam. PARATROPIDIN.E. Genus Paratropis, E. Sim. Species P.papilligera, n. sp., S 2 > P- 723. ,, Anisaspoides, nejv. „ A. gigantea, n. sp., §, p. 726. „ AcTINOI'ODlNiE. Genus Actlnopus, Perty. Species A. wallacei, n. sp., 2 > P- 728. „ CTENIZINJE. Genus Acanthodon, Guerin. Species A. santaremia, n. sp., $, p. 733. „ BARYCIIELINJE. Genus Homaoplacis, E. Sim. Species H. austeni, n. sp., o*. P- 735. ,, AviCULARIINiE. Genus Acanthoscurria, Auss. Species A. geniculata, C. K., $, P- 737. A. brocklehursti, n. sp., ?, [p. 739. |
