. American spiders and their spinning work. A natural history of the orbweaving spiders of the United States, with special regard to their industry and habits. Spiders. Oldest KnowTi Spider Fossil. Fig. 375. Fossil spider of Florissant, Epeira meekii. (After Scudder.) Fig. 876. Existing spider Epeira strix ; male. Fia. 377. Existing spider Epeira insularis; male. Turning to tlie oldest known fossil aranead, Protolycosa anthroco})hila Romer, we are brought face to face with a species closely related to exist- ing fauna. (Fig. 378.) Protolycosa belongs to the Carbonifer- ous, being found in the
. American spiders and their spinning work. A natural history of the orbweaving spiders of the United States, with special regard to their industry and habits. Spiders. Oldest KnowTi Spider Fossil. Fig. 375. Fossil spider of Florissant, Epeira meekii. (After Scudder.) Fig. 876. Existing spider Epeira strix ; male. Fia. 377. Existing spider Epeira insularis; male. Turning to tlie oldest known fossil aranead, Protolycosa anthroco})hila Romer, we are brought face to face with a species closely related to exist- ing fauna. (Fig. 378.) Protolycosa belongs to the Carbonifer- ous, being found in the argillaceous slate of Kattowitz, upper Silesia.' Fig. 379 is an enlarged drawing, and Fig. 380 is an outline restoration by the author. Romer placed the fossil near the genus Lycosa of the Citigrades, which rank among the highest of the araneads. Thorell, on the ground of the extremely coarse and short, strong legs and palps, assigns it to the Territelariae, which puts it within a closely related group, in which we have found the largest existing spiders, Theraphosoidje, the Tarantulas, and such also as possess the highest me- chanical instincts, as Trapdoor spiders. The first apparition of the spider is therefore by no means that of a low example, but one rather which presents a plenitude of faunal characteristics, and gives the possibility of high industrial skill. Moreover, Protolycosa is nearly related to a living species. Thorell points out its marked resemblance to Schiodte's wonderful East India genus ' Neues Jahrbuch fi'ir Minoralogic, Gcologie uiid Piilae'nntolosic, Jahrg. 18()(i, pages 136- 143, Taf. III., Figs. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original McCook, Henry C. (Henry Christopher), 1837-1911. [Philadelphia] The Author, Academy of Natural Science of Philadelphia
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectspiders, bookyear1889
