Mr. J. Blackwall on some new species 0/ Araneidea. 185 



joints of the palpi are short, the latter, which is the stronger, 

 projecting a pointed apophysis from its extremity, in front ; the 

 digital joint is somewhat oval, with a lobe near the middle of the 

 outer side; it is convex and hairy externally, concave within, 

 comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed, pro- 

 minent, complicated in structure, with a long, black, filiform, 

 convoluted spine, enveloped in a delicate membrane, extending 

 from the upper part beyond their extremity ; they are of a red- 

 brown colour. Abdomen oviform, convex above, projecting over 

 the base of the cephalo-thorax ; it is thinly covered with hairs, 

 glossy, and brow^nish black. Plates of the spiracles yellow. 



My son, John Blackwall, discovered an adult male of this spe- 

 cies, which is nearly allied to the spiders constituting the genus 

 fValckenaera, on the steps at Oakland in June 1841. 



6. Neriene avida. Oculis seriei anterloris intermediis minimis ; 

 cephalo-thorace, mandibulis, maxillis, labio, sternoque brunneis, 

 pedibus palpisque palHdioribus ; mandibulis, maxillis et labii apice 

 paululum rufo-tinctis ; abdomine fusco-nigro ; pedum pari \^° et 

 4*° longissimis, sequalibus, 3**° brevissimo. 



Colore pedumque longitudine mas fceminam refert ; cephalo-thoracis 

 pars anterior gibbosior, et pone oculos duabus lateralibus parva 

 fovea. 



Length of the female -^q^^ of an inch ; length of the cephalo-tho- 

 rax -^^ ; breadth ^-^ ; breadth of the abdomen -^-^ ; length of an an- 

 terior leg ^ ; length of a leg of the third pair -^^ . 



Legs and palpi provided with hairs ; first and fourth pairs of 

 legs the longest, and equal in length, third pair the shortest : 

 cephalo-thorax oval, glossy, convex, with a small indentation in 

 the medial line of the posterior region : mandibles powerful, 

 conical, rather divergent at the extremities, armed with teeth on 

 the inner surface, and inclined towards the sternum, which is 

 broad and heart-shaped : maxillae strong, enlarged where the 

 palpi are inserted, and inclined towards the lip, which is semi- 

 circular and prominent at the extremity : these parts are brown, 

 the legs and palpi, which are the palest, the mandibles, maxillae, 

 and tip of the lip having a tinge of red. Anterior eyes of the 

 trapezoid the smallest of the eight ; eyes of each lateral pair 

 seated on a prominence and almost contiguous. Abdomen ovi- 

 form, convex above, projecting over the base of the cephalo-tho- 

 rax ; it is thinly covered with hairs, glossy, and brownish black. 

 Plates of the spiracles yellowish brown. 



The male is rather smaller than the female, but it resembles 

 her in colour and in the relative length of its legs. The anterior 

 part of the cephalo-thorax is more gibbous, and immediately be- 

 hind each lateral pair of eyes there is a small indentation. The 



