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Show 192 ARACH~lDES. zealous savans, one already recommended by me to their esteem as my protector from the horrors of the revolution, is one of the largest species indigenous to France; M. Dufour has completed my description of it, and has observed its habits. The body is about seven or eight lines in length, of a cinereous flaxen colour I covered with down, and more or less spotted with black. The top of the abdomen, from its middle to the extremity, is mark. ed with a band formed of a series of small hatchet-shaped spots, of the last mentioned colour. A black longitudinal band, grey in the middle, runs along its under surface. The legs are annu. lated with black. This species was discovered by the naturalist to whom I have dedicated it, in the environs of Bourrleaux. M. Dufour has since found it in the most barren mountains of Valencia. It runs with great velocity, the feet being extended laterally. Its unguiculated palettes enable it to cling to the smooth· est surface, and in every possible position. It constructs a cocoon, which in texture resembles that of the Clotho of Durand , on the under surface of stones, to which it retires for shelter in bad weather, to escape from enemies, and to lay its eggs. It is an oval tent, nearly two inches in diameter, attached to the 6tone in the manner of a marine Patella. It is formed of an external envelope, consisting of a yellowish taffeta, as fine as the peel of an onion, but rigid, and of an inner lining which is more supple, softer, and open at both ends. It is from these openings, which are furnished with valves, that the animal issues. The cocoon is globular·, and placed underneath its dwelling, so that it can brood over it; it contains about sixty eggs. 'fhe same naturalist has described and figured another spe· cies, the M. a tarses spongieux-Ann. des Sc. Phys., V, lxix, 6 -which he found on a tree in a garden at Barcelona. From its habits, however, and some of its characters, I presume that it belongs to the genus Philodroma of Walckenaer( 1 ). SENELOPs, Duf. The Senelopes form the transition from the preceding genus to the following one. The jaws are straight or but slightly inclined, (1) For the other species, see the Tab. des Aran., Walck., and his Ilist. des A~an., fascic. IV, SparCU~ms roseus, X, the male;-lb., fascic. II, viii, the male. I think we should refer to thia subgenus the .9.ranea venatoria, L.,-S1oane's Hist. of Jam., CCXXV, 1, 2; Nhamdiu, 2? Pison;--and another species from India very analogous to the preceding, figured on Chinese drawings and paper-hangings. PULMONAUI.tE. 193 'thout any lateral sinus, and taper to a point obliquely truncated WI the inner side. The ligula is semicircular like that of the Mi- ~ . crommatre, but the eyes are arranged differently. There are six before forming a transverse line; the two others are posterior, and situated one on each side, behind each extremity of the preceding line. The legs are long; the second pair, and then the thi:-d and fourth, are longer than the first. The type of the genus, Senelops omalosoma, Dufour, Ann. des Sc. Phys. V, lxix, 4, was found by M. Dufour in Valencia, but it is very rare there. The body is about four lines in length and very flat, of a greyish red, with cinereous spots; the feet are annulated with black. The posterior part of the abdomen seems to exhibit vestiges of annuli, forming on the sides an ap· pearance of teeth. It lives aroong rocks, and when escaping from pursuit flies with the rapidity of an arrow. It is also found in Syria-Collection of M. Labillardiere-and in Egypt. Other species inhabit Senegal, the Cape of Good Hope and the Isle of France. PHILODROMus, Walck.( 1) The Philodromi differ from the two preceding subgenera in their jaws, which are inclined on the ligula, which is also higher than it · is wide. The almost equal eyes always form a crescent or semi· circle. The lateral ones are never placed on tubercles or eminences. The chelicerre are elongated and cylindrical; the four or two last legs do not materially differ in length from the others. According to Walckenaer these animals run with great swiftness, their legs extended laterally, lie in wait for their prey, throw out solitary threads to entrap it, and conceal themselves in crevices or among leaves. In some the body is broad and flat, the ahdomen short and widened posteriorly, and the four intermediate legs the longest. Such is the Philodrome tigree; Thomise tigre, Lat.; .llraneus marguritarius, Clerck, VI, iii; Schreff., Icon., lxxi, 8; Fr·isch, Ins., Centur., II, xiv; .!lranea levipes, L. ? It is about three lines in length. Its two anterior intermediate eyes and the four lateral ones are situated on a slight elevation, and the latter, according to the same naturalist, are somewhat the largest, or at least are more apparent. The thorax is very wide, flat· tened, of a reddish fawn colour, brown laterally and posteriorly, (l) In the first edition of this work, this subgenus formed our first diYision of the Thomisi. VoL. III.-Z |