WITICA.—EPEIROTYPUS. 161 
The abdomen is large, short-oval, broad in front, strongly and regularly convex above, where it is covered 
with a glossy black coriaceous shield furnished thinly with short fine hairs. The sides and underside are 
somewhat rugulose, and of a dull hue spotted with deep blackish-brown. The spinners are short and 
compact, those of the inferior pair strongest. 
Hab. Mexico, Teapa in Tabasco (H. H. Smith). 
“Brushed from foliage in a shady wood-glen near a stream.” 
This spider is an example of the difficulty of drawing a line between the Theridiide 
and Epeiride. In the absence of any note on the point I should conjecture that its 
snare would be of a geometric character. In the coriaceous covering of the upperside 
it resembles species of the genus Ceratina, Menge. 
EPEIROTYPUS, Cambridge. 
Epeirotypus brevipes, Cambridge. 
Epeirotypus brevipes, Cambr. antéa, p. 134, t. 18. fig. 11 (9). 
The female only of this spider was described and figured, J. c. supra. 
The male is smaller, and measures 1} lines in length. 
In general form, colours, and markings the two sexes are very similar, but the male has the thoracic portion 
on each side much more strongly humped, making the normal indentation between it and the caput, on 
either side, much stronger; and there is a peculiarity, most marked in the male, but also apparent in the 
female, though it escaped notice in the description of that sex, that is, that the legs are articulated to an 
independent portion of the cephalothorax divided from the convex upperside by a strong indentation, 
which, however, does not appear to run round the caput, but only round the thorax. The middle of the 
ocular region is more drawn out forwards and prominent in the male than in the female, and bears great 
resemblance to that of Huryopis and Laseola. The palpi are very short, the cubital joint somewhat 
rounded and nodiform, the radial joint larger, dilated forwards, and somewhat produced at its extremity 
on the inner side, but with no marked prominence or apophysis; the digital joint is very large, somewhat 
quadrate at its hinder extremity, and the palpal organs are roundish, simple, but enormously developed, 
and of immense size. The falces of the male are somewhat transversely rugulose; and the inferior pair 
of spinners in both sexes are longer and stronger than the superior pair. 
Hab. Mexico, Teapa in Tabasco (H. H. Smith: 3 & 2). 
Three egg-cocoons accompanied this spider; they bear considerable resemblance in 
form to those of the European Ero atomaria, but the texture of the covering is closer 
and not so net-like. Mr. Smith has the following note on them, which is of great interest 
as showing that the spider rather belongs to the Epeiride than to the Theridiide, in 
which last family I had placed it before the facts related by Mr. Smith were known to 
me :—‘“ Found in the forest on rocky land near the river in a hollow in a tree-trunk ; 
the female was in a perpendicular, rather fine-meshed, geometrical web five inches in 
diameter, the centre drawn back bya line. Just behind it, suspended to a cross-line, 
were three little acorn-shaped * pale brownish egg-cases; the male was on a line 
in front.”’ 
* Rather of a pear than acorn-shape.—O. P. C. 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Arachn. Aran., March 1896. yp 
