EPEIRA. 111 
EPEIRA, Walckenaer. 
Epeira nigropustulata, sp. n. 
Male (immature), length 23 lines. 
Cephalothorax oval, longer than broad, almost squarely truncated before ; lateral constrictions at the caput 
moderate ; height of the clypeus not much more than equal to the diameter of one of the fore-central 
eyes; colour brownish-yellow ; ocular area rather projecting. 
Eyes small and not greatly different in size; they are placed in the usual three groups: four form a small 
central quadrangle rather longer than broad; these are on the central prominence of the caput: those of 
each lateral pair are contiguous to each other, placed on a slight tubercle, and removed from the central 
group by an interval equal to the length of the line formed by its posterior side. 
Legs rather short, moderately strong, relative length 1, 2, 4,3, furnished with hairs and a few very fine spines ; 
colour brownish-yellow, the tips of all the tarsi and of the tibia of the fourth pair of a darker yellow- 
brown. 
Palpi short, yellow; digital joint and palpal bulb (the organs not yet developed) almost globular, and of 
moderate size. 
Falces yellow, moderate in length and strength, prominent at their base in front. 
Mawille, labium, and sternum of normal form, and of a dull yellowish dusky-brown hue. 
Abdomen of a somewhat oblong-oval form; profile-line moderately curved; hinder slope abrupt, almost 
vertical, The upperside is black, with a longitudinal central white stripe, widening from the front to the 
middle, and contracting thence to the beginning of the hinder slope, with two or three angular promi- 
nences on each side; at the end of this stripe and in the same line with it are two round, rather conspi- 
cuous, raised, shining black bosses or pustules, near together, and on each side of these two (but not 
contiguous) is another similar boss, but of larger size. These four bosses are very characteristic, and 
each has a distinct white blotch at its hinder side; in front of each lateral boss is another conspicuous, 
white, elongate, transverse blotch; and along the lateral margins of the black of the upperside of the 
abdomen are three or four other less distinctly defined white spots or blotches merging in the rest of the 
white lower portion of the sides; underside dusky, with a longitudinal central white line. Spinners 
short, compact, and of a dull yellow colour. 
Hab. Mexico, Teapa in Tabasco (H. H. Smith). 
Epeira nigrohumeralis, sp. n. 
Adult female, length 2 lines. 
The cephalothorax is of normal form; the ocular region a little produced. It is of a yellow-brown colour, the 
sides of the caput blackish, and the whole thickly clothed with long, fine, pale grey hairs. 
The eyes are in the usual position and on slight tubercles ; the four centrals are subequal and form a square ; 
those of each lateral pair are contiguous to each other and placed obliquely, being removed from the four 
central eyes by an interval about equal to the line formed by the anterior pair. The clypeus is very low 
and retreating. 
The legs are very short, 1, 2,4, 3, tolerably strong, fairly well armed with spines (some of which are long), and 
clothed with grey hairs. Their colour is yellow-brown; the femora and the anterior portion of the tibiz 
are more or less suffused with black. 
Palpi yellowish. 
Falces moderately long, rather strong, and similar to the cephalothorax in colour. 
Mazille normal in form, yellow-brown, palest at the extremity. 
Labiwm rather pointed at the apex, where it is of a paler brownish-yellow hue than the rest. 
‘Sternum heart-shaped, yellow-brown, with one or two white markings of variable form. 
Abdomen large, short broad-oval in form, of a dull luteous colour, obscurely spotted or mottled with whitish ; 
a large oblique black patch, white-bordered on the inner side, occupies each side, or shoulder, of the 
abdomen forwards, and on the hinder part is a rather indistinct central longitudinal brownish band whose 
fore extremity forms an angular point; on either side of this band near the spinners are some short hori- 
zontal, parallel, linear, black spots or dashes. The underside of the abdomen has four white patches or 
