Supplement to Harvesting Ants and Trap-Door SpidersMoggridge, John Traherne
Science
Supplement to Harvesting Ants and Trap-Door Spiders
Moggridge, John Traherne
Ants; Trap-door spiders
The _legs_ are long, moderately strong, their relative length being
4, 1, 2, 3. They are of a dark brown colour, generally paler on the
under sides, furnished with hairs, fine bristles, and spines; the
latter are numerous and strong beneath the metatarsi and tibiæ of
the first and second pairs; on those of the third pair they are less
strong and more uniformly disposed; on those of the fourth pair they
are fewest and least conspicuous. The genual joints of the third
pair have some strongish spines on the outer side; the right leg has
eight, the left nine. The toothing of the superior tarsal claws does
not appear to be uniform on the different legs of the same example;
on those of the fourth pair there were five teeth; on those of the
first pair eight or nine, with two others, quite rudimentary, towards
the point of the claw; and even on one of the fourth pair of legs one
of the claws had six, the other five teeth. The tarsal claws of the
second pair are toothed throughout nearly their whole length with
from eight to ten teeth; on _one_ of the third pair the teeth were
but five or six, while on the other there were on one claw but three
ordinary teeth and a much stronger one a little way off in front of
them, on the second claw only a single strong tooth about the middle,
and a smaller one close to its base.
The _palpi_ are long and rather slender, measuring rather over
six lines in length; they are similar in colour to the legs, and
excepting a few--from twelve to fourteen--short strong spines on
the upper side of the extremity of the digital joint, furnished with
hairs only. The cubital joint is more than half the length of the
radial; this latter is equal in length to the humeral joint, and
nearly as long as the femora of the first pair of legs. The digital
joint is short, of an oblong oval form, broadest at its extremity.
The palpal organs consist of a nearly spherical corneous lobe,
prolonged at its fore extremity into a long, slender, tapering,
beak-like spine, curving upwards (_i.e._, with its point near to the
radial joint), and inwards.
A broad, conspicuous, shining, corneous band, of a deeper red-brown
than the rest, runs round the middle (or equatorial line) of the
spherical portion of these organs, covering the greater part of their
surface.
The _falces_ are of moderate length and strength, and of ordinary
form. They are similar in colour to the legs, and furnished in front,
chiefly on their inner edges, with hairs, and at their extremities
on the inner sides, with a few, but not very strong nor conspicuous,
short spines; their under side (along which the fang lies) is toothed
on the inner edge only; the fang is strong and curved, but presents
nothing remarkable in form, nor could I detect either denticulation
or serration.
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