432 Mr. J. Blackwall on newly discovered species o/Araneidea. 



branchial opercula, and a small spot just above the spinners, 

 which are composed of white hairs. 



An adult male of this minute Drassus was found in Dorset- 

 shire by 0. P. Cambridge, Esq., in the autumn of 1857, and was 

 forwarded to me in February 1858 by Mr. R. H. Meade. 



Family Theridiid^. 



Genus Pholcus, Walck. 



Pholcus ruralis. 



Length of the male Jth of an inch ; length of the cephalo- 

 thorax ---^ ; breadth -j-V f breadth of the abdomen yL > length of 

 an anterior leg 1/^ ; length of a leg of the third pair y^^. 



The cephalo-thorax is almost circular, somewhat convex, glossy^ 

 and has a large indentation in the medial line ; the anterior part, 

 on which the eyes are seated, is prominent, and the space be- 

 tween those organs and the falces is broad and nearly vertical ; 

 it is of a pale yellow-brown colour, the anterior slope of the in- 

 dentation being the brownest. The eyes are placed on black 

 spots ; the two intermediate ones are much the smallest of the 

 eight, and are situated transversely between three large ones on 

 each side, closely grouped in the form of a triangle. The falces 

 are small, vertical, cubconical, united at the base, armed with a 

 short, slightly curved fang, and have a single strong tooth at 

 their extremity, on the inner side, and a minute, pointed, dark 

 process in front, near the articulation of the fang : the maxillae 

 are long, and taper to the extremity ; they are greatly enlarged 

 at the base, where the palpi are inserted, and inclined towards 

 the lip, which is short, broad, somewhat dilated in the middle, 

 and rounded at the apex. These parts have a brown hue, the 

 lip being much the darkest, and the falces and enlarged base of 

 the maxillae the palest. The sternum is heart-shaped, and of a 

 brownish-black colour. The legs are very long, slender, and 

 provided with fine hairs, and the femora and tibiae of the ante- 

 rior pair have a longitudinal row of short, erect spines on their 

 under side, except at the base of the former and extremity of 

 the latter ; they are of a yellow-brown hue ; a brown annulus 

 occurs near the whitish extremity of the femora and tibiae, and 

 the genual joint has a brown hue ; the first pair is the longest^ 

 then the second, and the third pair is the shortest ; each tarsus 

 is terminated by three claws ; the two superior ones are curved 

 and pectinated, and the inferior one is inflected near its base. 

 The palpi have a pale yellow-brown colour, with the exception of 

 the termination of the digital joint, which has a reddish-brown 

 tint ; the humeral joint is slender at its base, from which an 

 obtuse process projects on the outer side, and is gibbous under- 



