ARACHNIDES— A i; A X Kl DES— EETITELARO<]. 75 



LINYPHIA Latreille. 



Two species of this genus have been described from Rott, and one 

 (formerly considered two) species from amber. The single species we can 

 here add to the number is tolerably nearly allied to the amber species, as 

 well as to L. rottensis of the Rhenish brown coal, though it is much larger 

 than the latter. The living species are found abundantly in all parts of 

 Europe, excepting possibly the most southern, and several species are 

 recorded from Georgia and from Chili. Its presence at Florissant would 

 rather indicate a mean temperate climate. The species are lively and savage 

 in character, constructing a rather complicated sheet of web, under the 

 middle of which they lie in wait in an inverted position for their prey. 

 (November, 1881.) 



LiNYPHIA RETENSA. 

 PI. 11, Figs. 25, 27 ( <3 ). 



A single male and its reverse represent this species; the reverse was 

 bi-oken, and the posterior portion figured before its anterior half was found; 

 hence the specimen is numbered three times; it is tolerably well preserved, 

 especially the legs. The better preserved half shows a nearly uniform 

 dusky figure upon the stone, but on the reverse the abdomen is much 

 darker, almost black, and the palpi also are darker than the cephalothorax. 

 The latter is regularly oval, the anterior extremity the more pointed; upon 

 tliis some ocelli may be seen, of which there are apparently two approxi- 

 mate but independent ones next the middle, and on one side a pair of con- 

 fluent eyes of the same size, all next the anterior edge. The last palpal 

 joint is large, subcircular, or somewhat pyriform, furnished interiorly with 

 a stout, strongly bent ribbon, and is perched on a stalk long enough to carry 

 it by its own width beyond the margin of the corselet. Abdomen regularly 

 obovate, a tinfle broader in front than behind, somewhat longer than the 

 corselet, and roundly pointed behind. Legs very long and slender, except- 

 ing the third pair, which are short, all the femora rather sparsely furnished 

 with very delicate spines. 



Length of bod)^, 7.1'"'"; of abdomen, 4"""; breadth of cephalothorax, 

 2'"'"; of abdomen, 2.10"""; diameter of palpal swelling, 1""" ; length of first 

 pair of legs, 19'"'°; Second pair, 15.5'°'° ; third pair, 6.i)""" ; fourth pair, 14"""; 

 first pair femora, 6'"°^ ; tibite, 7'"" ; tarsi, G"""* ; second pair femora, 5°"" ; 



