196 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



L1888. 



or the letter "U." A shield-shaped figure Avith scolloped edges occu- 

 pies the middle of the dorsum. On each side is a broad, light un- 

 dulating band, with five or six folise of unequal length. See fig. 3. 

 The cephalothorax is 5 mm. long ; is smooth and marked by brown- 

 isli bands along the sides and middle. The legs are strongly annu- 

 lated with brown rings about the joints and also in the middle of 

 the thigh, tibia and metatarsus. Length : 1st pair, 22*5 mm. ; 2nd 

 pair, 21"75 mm. ; 3rd pair, 16 mm. ; 4th pair, 20'5 mm. 



Epeira vertebrata, n. sp. 



o. A number of specimens of both sexes and various ages of this 

 .spider have been received from Mrs. Rosa Smith Eigenmann, San 

 Diego, California, at which point the species seems to be abundant, 

 and indeed is distributed to some extent northward along the Pacific 

 coast. The specimens include two forms, which are very distinct 

 in their shades and coloring, one form being darker than the other, 

 so dark indeed, that some examples seem quite black. 



Female. (Fig. 6.) Length of body, ab- 

 domen, 11 mm.; cephalothorax 4"5 mm. 

 The abdomen is of a yellowish brown col- 

 or ; a V-shaped whitish figure opening pos- 

 teriorly, extends from the cephalothorax to 

 the crest of the abdomen. The margins of 

 tliis figure are broad and irregular. A series 

 of irregular white spots extends across the 

 base and around the sides which are marked 

 by three rather regular rows of black spots. 

 W^r '' \^kj ^^^¥ "^^^ V-shaped figure is followed by a shorter 

 iv., OZi iSLi^^ .J W similar figure, and this again by three circu- 

 lar patches of diminishing size, the whole 

 series terminating near the apex with a tri- 

 angular patch. The whole median line of 

 the abdomen from cephalothorax to abdo- 

 men is thus marked by this series of distinct figures which are 

 broken through the centre and along the line by a scolloped band 

 of yellowisli brown color. At regular intervals on each side of 

 these vertebrae-like median markings, are circular and triangular 

 patches of a whitish yellow color. The outlines of the whitish 

 patches are marked by strong lines of rosy brown hue. The 

 abdomen is strongly reticulated and the whole appearance is 



Fig. 6. Epeira vertebrata 

 Female, light variety, X 3- 



