16 ARANEIDEA. 
EPEIRA, Walckenaer. 
The large genus Epeira of Walckenaer has, since his days, been considerably curtailed; 
it still, however, as now recognized by most araneologists, includes a rather heteroge- 
neous mass of species. All seem to agree fairly well in regard to several leading 
generic characters, though in some the exact form of the cephalothorax diverges a good 
deal from the ordinary generic type. The portion of structure presenting the widest 
range of difference is the abdomen ; while, therefore, making no attempt here to sub- 
divide this genus, I have roughly arranged. the new species received from Central 
America according to the leading characters of the abdominal form ; this is, however, 
intended chiefly to narrow as much as possible the field within which collectors may 
have to search for the identification of species, for the mere form of the abdomen, 
certainly in this group, will scarcely now, I imagine, take rank as a good generic 
character. 
Epeira tetragnathoides, sp. n. 
Adult female, length 24 to 3} lines; adult male, slightly over 2 lines. 
Cephalothorax of ordinary form; colour brownish-yellow tinged with orange, bisected Jongitudinally by a 
tapering, somewhat irregular, black stripe, and with a narrow black margin. ; 
Eyes on black spots in the usual position ; the anterior pair of the central group (which forms a square whose 
hinder side is considerably the shortest) are larger than the posterior pair, which are almost contiguous to 
each other ; the anterior pair are close to the lower margin of the clypeus. 
The falces are strong, prominent in front, and like the cephalothorax in colour. 
The leys are long, slender, 1, 4, 2, 3, similar in colour to the cephalothorax, and closely mottled and minutely 
spotted, chiefly in front, with black; the first two pairs also marked with a longitudinal black line in 
front of the femora, tibia, and metatarsi. The legs are furnished with hairs, slender bristles, and fine 
spines. 
The palpi are like the legs in colour and markings. 
The mazille and labiwm are also brownish-yellow blended with a deeper hue. The former are very slightly 
divergent, and a little longer than those of the typical Zpeira in form. 
The sternum is black-brown, marked along the middle with a broad brownish-yellow band. 
The abdomen is elongate-oval, projecting considerably and in a somewhat pointed form over the thorax and 
also behind a little over the spinners. The upperside is blackish-brown, marked on each side with a 
slender longitudinal wavy pale line, containing a series of small black spots; along the centre also are 
two parallel slender pale lines: all these lines converge towards both the fore and hinder extremities of the 
abdomen. The sides are closely mottled with yellowish, and each with a longitudinal blackish stripe which 
at the lower margin is white. The underside is black, bordered on each side with a broadish yellow-white 
band and with a short broad band along the middle just in front of the genital process, which is simple, 
short, and not prominent. 
A variety of this spider has the legs unspotted and unmarked, and the abdomen closely spotted all over-with 
yellowish-white points or minute spots; the upperside has a longitudinal tapering white stripe along its 
whole length, bordered on each side with pale brownish-yellow, and along the outer side of this colour is 
a row, converging towards the spinners, of distinct black spots. The underside has a broad longitudinal 
black band, which encircles the spinners on their anterior side, and has a broadish white band along its 
fore half, next to the genital process. 
The male resembles the female first above described. 
The palpi are short ; the cubital joint is somewhat angular in front, with two very long, strong, prominent, 
