THERIDION.—EPISINUS. 167 
figure, whose length is rather greater than its width, and its posterior side rather the shortest ; those of 
each lateral pair are seated slightly obliquely on a tubercle; the interval between those of the hind- 
central pair is very slightly less than that between each and the hind-lateral eye next to it. The height 
of the clypeus considerably exceeds half that of the facial space. 
Legs moderately long, 1, 2, 4, 3, the first pair much the longest, rather slender, yellow, the femora and extremity 
of the tibiz of the first pair strongly tinged with orange. Clothed thinly with coarse hairs. 
Palpi short, slender, excepting the digital joint and palpal bulb, which are of large size. The cubital joint is 
very short, the radial stronger, and spreading out at its fore extremity ; these joints are furnished with a 
few strong, prominent, bristly hairs; the palpal organs are directed outwards and are greatly developed, but 
of simple form, forming a kind of double lobe, the longer portion of which has its anterior extremity close 
beneath the extremity of the digital joint, of a blackish hue, and furnished with a slightly curved tapering 
black spine. The palpal organs are encircled by a closely adhering black spine round their margin next 
to the outer surface of the digital joint. 
The falces are of moderate strength, straight, vertical, tapering, and similar in colour to the cephalothorax. 
The maxille, labium, and sternum are dull yellow-brown. 
The abdomen is oval, somewhat cylindric, of a pale dull luteous colour, with a broad dentated, very slightly 
tapering, dark band speckled with minute spots of a darker colour along the middle of the upperside, 
and margined with a stripe of cretaceous-looking white spots; the sides are marked with indistinct 
vertical dark diffused lines ; the upperside is covered thinly with coarse hairs. 
Hab. Mexico, Omilteme in Guerrero (H. H. Smith). 
This spider is nearly allied to Theridion eximium, Keys., and T. magnificum, Keys., 
from the Amazons, as well as to 7’. ethicum, Keys., from Rio Janeiro, but appears to be 
distinct from each of them. | 
EPISIN US, Walckenaer. 
Episinus bigibbosus, sp. n. 
Adult female, length 23 lines. 
In general form and appearance this species is of the normal type. The colour of the cephalothorax is dull 
orange-yellow, the caput and a longitudinal central line on the thoracic portion slightly suffused with 
reddish-brown. 
The eyes are rather closely grouped together, in two transverse curved lines, and form a semicircle; the anterior 
row is much the most strongly curved. The eyes of the hind-central pair are separated by a diameter’s 
interval, and each is almost contiguous to the hind-lateral eye on its side; those of the fore-central pair 
are on a strong prominence, and with the hind-centrals form very nearly a square, the anterior side being 
slightly the shortest. Each fore-central eye is separated from the fore-lateral on its side by less than half 
a diameter’s interval; the fore-laterals are largest of the eight, and those of each lateral pair are contiguous 
to each other; all, excepting the fore-central pair, are of a pearly-white lustre. 
Legs rather long, slender, 4,1, 2,3 (2 and 3 much the shortest), yellow, faintly annulated, excepting the meta- 
tarsi and tarsi, with dull orange-brown, furnished with coarse hairs and, on the tibiw, with two or three 
very fine spines. 
Falces rather small and weak, straight, tapering, and of a yellow colour. 
Mazille, labium, and sternum yellow, slightly suffused with brown. 
Abdomen large, narrow at the fore extremity and widening gradually to near the hinder part, where it curves 
inwards to the spinners. It is of a dull yellowish hue, thickly covered with white cretaceous-looking 
spots on the sides and upperside, on the latter is an indistinct pattern formed by small black spots and 
lines; on each side at the widest part is a strong, globular, somewhat tuberculiform, black prominence or 
gibbosity, its surface marked by a pale cross which divides it into four quarters or spots. The upperside 
of the abdomen is furnished with coarse hairs and slender spines, and on and near the globular promi- 
nences are a few stronger spines of a knife-blade form. 
