74 ARANEIDEA. 
Runcinia blanda, sp. n. 
Adult male, length 13 to 1? lines. 
The cephalothoraa is nearly equal in length and breadth, rounded behind, truncated before, and of equal and 
moderate convexity. The colour is a dull orange-brown, with in some examples a pale yellowish central 
patch on the thorax, pointed behind and bifid in front, this patch being sometimes obsolete ; the ocular 
region is whitish, owing to the tubercles of that colour on which the eyes are seated; and the sides 
of the thorax have some minute granulosities on their surface. The height of the clypeus equals half 
that of the facial space. 
The eyes are in the usual position and of the normal relative size. 
The legs are 2,1, 4,3. Those of the first and second pairs are long, tolerably strong, and of a deep rich 
yellow-brown approaching liver-colour, the femora being perhaps rather the darkest, the latter covered 
with minute granulosities and with a row of four spines along the upperside; underneath the tibie are 
two pairs of spines, and there are three pairs of spines beneath the metatarsi. The third and fourth 
pairs of legs are short, without spines, except two or three minute ones on the upperside of the femora, 
and of a yellow colour. 
Falces moderately strong, subconical, vertical, and similar in colour to the cephalothorax. 
Palpi short. The radial is scarcely more than half the length of the cubital joint, the latter having a spine-like 
bristle on the outer side and two other bristles on the inner side. The digital joint is narrow-oval, rather 
longer than the cubital and radial joints together, and on the inner margin forwards are several spines ; 
on the outer extremity is a, not very long, tapering apophysis scarcely equal to the length of the joint, 
and whose fine point is a little turned outwards, and underneath is a shorter obtuse apophysis. The 
palpal organs are simple and encircled round their margin with a closely adhering black spine. The 
colour of the palpi is similar to that of the third and fourth pairs of legs, as is also that of the maxille, 
labium, and sternum. 
The abdomen is of a short-oval rather flattened form, roundly truncated in front; it is of a dull brownish- 
yellow hue, smooth and glossy on the upperside, where it is of a rather deeper colour, with the five 
normal depressed points dark yellow-brown. 
Although nearly allied to Runcinia tibialis, this spider may easily be distinguished by the incrassation of the 
tibiee of the first and second pairs of legs, as well as by the various other specific differences, It is 
also still more closely allied to R. annulipes, but may be distinguished by the following characters :— 
(i) The unicolorous dark yellow-brown (rather liver-coloured) first and second pairs of legs (these being 
annulated in R. annulipes); and the presence of spines in pairs beneath the tibiz and metatarsi. 
(ii) The form of the pale central patch on the thorax: this is, when visible, in the present species pointed 
behind and bifid in front, making it look like a barbed arrow-head directed backwards; in some 
examples, as above noted, this patch is obsolete, and in others only faintly visible. 
(iii) The apophysis at the fore extremity on the outer side of the radial joints of the palpi is shorter than 
the joint, not so strong as in FR. annulipes, and terminates in a simple point, a little directed 
outwards. 
In other respects the two species, 2. blanda and R. annulipes, are remarkably similar. This, however, only 
applies to the male, from which the female differs remarkably, if indeed it is the female of the same 
species, of which, in spite of the opinion of Mons. Simon, who has kindly examined these examples, I 
have some doubt. 
Adult female, length slightly over 3 lines. . 
The cephalothoraz is dark yellow-brown or liver-coloured, with a conspicuous yellowish-white longitudinal 
patch on the thorax, bifid in front and emitting a central branched line of the same colour from its fore 
extremity to the ocular region. 
The legs are not very long, strong, and of a pale whitish-yellow colour; the genue, a small well-defined 
annulus at the base, a much larger one at the fore extremity of the tibie, and a less distinct one at 
the fore extremity of the metatarsi being of a similar colour to the cephalothorax. The tibie have 
only one or two spines underneath, while there are five or six pairs beneath the metatarsi. 
