Acknowledgments

The basic work for this paper was carried out at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University and the American Museum of Natural History, New York, while the author held a Fulbright Research Scholarship. I wish to express my deep appreciation to both of these institutions for assistance in many ways, and to the United States Educational Foundation for granting the research scholarship which made my visit possible. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Willis J. Gertsch, of the American Museum of Natural History, and Dr. Herbert Levi, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology for much information and advice, and to Dr. V. V. Hickman for specimens of Tasmanian spiders, and encouragement over many years. This paper would not have been possible without the numerous specimens which have been collected by Dr. T. E. Woodward, of the University of Queensland, and I wish to express my deep gratitude for these and other spiders which he has forwarded to me for examination over the last seven years. I am also much indebted to Professor B. J. Marples for information on web structure and many helpful discussions during the final preparation of the manuscript, and to the numerous individuals mentioned in the text who have assisted in collecting specimens.

Cribellum and calamistrum wanting. Colulus present (except in Symphytognatha and Patu). Six spinnerets. Lungbooks usually wanting, when present somewhat atypical in form. Anterior spiracle usually leading into tracheal tubes which sometimes supply both abdomen and cephalothorax, but often only abdomen. Two posterior spiracles, one or none. Posterior spiracles when present supplying tracheal tubes to abdomen only, both abdomen and cephalothorax or cephalothorax only. Eight eyes, six eyes or four eyes. Lateral eyes always contiguous. Carapace usually high. Clypeus high, vertical. Labium fused, Maxillae converging. Palp in female without claw, often reduced in length and in the number of segments, sometimes completely absent. Legs prograde, without spines (except secondary spines on legs of males) or scopulae. Claw tufts wanting. Tarsus longer than metatarsus. Tarsal drum present. Three claws. Trichobothria few, two or three on tibia, one on metatarsus of first three legs, none elsewhere. Type genus Symphytognatha Hickman 1931.

The Symphytognathidae as defined above presents a number of characters which clearly separate it from other families. The relative lengths of the tarsus and metatarsus are very characteristic. The tarsus is usually much longer than the metatarsus, which is the reverse of the situation in practically all other spiders. In a few forms which I have included in this family (Mysmena) at least one pair of legs shows this character, while the lengths of these segments in other legs is subequal. Pholcomma, a genus usually placed in the Theridiidae, also shows this character to a less marked degree, but possesses a claw on the female pedipalp. I have not placed this genus into the Symphytognathidae although it possesses a number of other characters which might justify this action. An examination of a New Zealand species of Pholcomma shows that the lungbooks are normal. Levi (1956) recently