186 Mr. J. Blackwall on some new species of Araneidea. 



radial joint of the palpi, which is larger than the cubital, projects 

 a pointed apophysis from its extremity, in front ; the digital joint 

 is somewhat oval, the superior part, which is slender, being curved 

 outwards, and a lobe occurring on the outer side, near the middle; 

 it is convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the 

 palpal organs, which are highly developed, prominent, compli- 

 cated in structure, with a bold projection near the upper part, on 

 the inner side, and a long, black, convoluted, filiform spine, en- 

 veloped in a delicate membrane, extending from the upper part 

 beyond their extremity ; they are of a reddish brown colour. 



Males and females of Neriene avida in a state of maturity were 

 captured on rails at Oakland in April 1839. A close affinity 

 subsists between this species and Neriene sulcata, which form 

 the link connecting Neriene with Walckenaera, and show by how 

 easy a transition the one genus passes into the other. 



Family EPEIRID^. 

 Genus Epeira, Walck. 



7. Epe'lra similis. Maris cephalo-thorace flavescenti-brunneo, fascia 

 nigrescenti mediana in anteriori parte dilatata ; mandibuHs fusco- 

 rufis; maxillis labioque rufescenti-brunneis, apicibus flavescenti- 

 brunneis, ad labri basin saturatioribus ; sterno fusco-nigro fascia 

 mediana longitudinali flavescenti-brunneo postice angustiore. Pe- 

 dibus flavescenti-brunneis nigro-maculatis, pari 1™° longissimo, 

 dein 2^°, 3*'° brevissimo, palpis brevibus fusco-luteis articulo digi- 

 tali rufo-brunneo, articulis cubitalibus radialibusque brevibus, his 

 paululum majoribus. Abdominis superiori parte macula lata ovali 

 phylloidea fusco-grisea, apice anteriori lineis flexuosis transversis 

 ad filatoria gradatim in longitudine decrescentium argenteo-griseis; 

 marginibus angulatis nigris, antice utrinque macula ovali brunnea ; 

 vitta attenuata argenteo-grisea margini nigrse parallela lateribus 

 subtusque fuscis luteo-tinctis punctis nigris minimis interspersis, 

 infra fascia lata mediana nigra utrinque striga lutea. 

 Length of the male Jth of an inch ; length of the ce])halo -thorax 

 ^ ; breadth ^^ ; breadth of the abdomen y^ j length of an anterior 

 leg Y^2 > length of a leg of the third pair \. 



Eyes disposed in two transverse rows on the anterior part of 

 the cephalo-thorax ; the intermediate ones of both rows form a 

 square, the two anterior ones, which are seated on a small pro- 

 tuberance, being the largest of the eight ; the eyes constituting 

 each lateral pair are placed obliquely on a prominence, and, though 

 near together, are not in contact. Cephalo-thorax somewhat oval, 

 compressed before, rounded in front, convex, glossy, with an in- 

 dentation in the medial line of the posterior region ; it is of a 

 yellowish brown colour, with a blackish band, which is broadest 

 at its anterior extremity, extending along the middle. i\Ian- 



