180 

THE COMITY OF SPIDERS 

Some islands are undoubtedly oceanic in origin and have never 

been joined to any mainland; others have had their fauna obliterated 

by ice caps (Spitsbergen) or by volcanic eruptions (Krakatoa) since 

they became islands. All have a flourishing spider fauna now, which 

cannot be attributed either to land bridges or to man's agency. 

Berland expresses the regret that if my assessment of the 

importance of aerial dispersal were justified, all value attaching to 

spiders as evidence of changed geographical boundaries would 

disappear. With this view I do not entirely agree, but I do stress the 

importance of caution. I will return to this subject after discussing the 

two principal means by which spiders are dispersed. 

B. TRANSPORTATION BY MAN. 

When moving house I have noticed 

Tegenaria domestica 

Linn. 

amongst my incoming furniture. In boxes of flowers brought back to 

London from the country I have found 

Araneae

,

 Dictynae

,

 Clubionae

,

Philodromi

,

 Theridion

,

and small Linyphiids. In fishing boats and 

motor lorries 

Zygiella litterata 

webs. On board ship bound for Brazil 

an 

Oecobius annulipes 

and a 

Lepthyphantes

.

On the way to the East a 

Menemerus bivittatus

.

Apart from these personal observations I owe additional evidence to 

friends. O. W. Richards has sent me 

Teutana grossa 

C.L.K. and 

Pholcus phalangioides 

Fuess. from the London docks. 

Ports ranging from Dundee to Dover have yielded me West Indian 

Salticids, Brazilian Ctenids and Mygalomorphs, a Selenopid and 

Pholcid of unknown tropical origin, a Canary Island Zoropsid 

(

Zoropsis maculosa 

Camb.) and Theridiid (

Lithyphantes nobilis 

Thor.)*, and numerous specimens of the widespread tropical 

Sparassid, 

Heteropoda venatoria 

Linn. 

This last spider comes into this country in hundreds 

* A. F. Millidge has just sent me another Canary Island inhabitant caught in the I. of 

Wight outside a fruit shop   the Sparassid, 

Olios argelasius 

Walck.