XIV. — New England Spiders of the family Attid^. By J. H. Emerton. The Attidse are distinguislied by a peculiar arrangement of the eyes. The front of the head is wide and square and the front row of eyes directed forward and nearly straight or with the lateral pair a little the highest. The front middle pair are larger than the others and often much larger, so that at first sight the spider appears to have but two eyes. Behind the lateral eyes of the front row are two very small eyes and still farther back, often near the middle of the cephalothorax, are two others a little larger, sometimes as large as the front lateral pair. See figures on Plates XVII and XVIII. The relative length of the legs is very variable. The fourth pair is usually the longest, but often the first, and even in some species the third pair. The legs of the first pair are usually thickened, and often those of the second pair. Most species can jump a considerable distance and this seems to be done from all the legs at once and does not depend on their relative length or size. The feet have two claws, generally long and with many small teeth, and, under the claws, a bunch of long hairs. The colors of the Attid^e are gen-erally bright and of great variety. They are partly caused by colored scales and hairs which in some species cover the whole body and in others are so small that the color of the skin shows between them. The scales are usually long and narrow like flattened or branched hairs, PI. XVI, figs. 1/, \l; others, especially those forming the white spots, are short and flat, fig. 5(7. Some of the scales of many species have a metallic luster and their color changes with the direc-tion of the light. As spiders become older part of their scales rub off and so change their color. In alcohol great changes in color take place. The wetting of the scales makes them transparent and the colors of the skin show through them. For this reason the front of the head and around the eyes is black or dark colored in most species in alcohol while the same parts in life are covered with white or light colored scales. PI. XVII, figs. 2, 2a. Some species that are yellow or brown when alive turn red in alcohol as Dendryphantes militaris and cestivalis. The northern Attidoe, like the Drassidte, are generally of middle size, none of them being as large as the larger Lycosidai and Epeiridas,
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