undescribed Genera and Species of Araneidae. 347 



4 



near its base, where there are one or two very minute teeth. 

 The palpi resemble the legs in colour ; they are provided with 

 slender spines, and are terminated by a slightly curved claw, 

 having a series of very small teeth extending about a third of 

 its length from the base. Abdomen oval, convex above, pro- 

 jecting over the base of the cephalothorax, and sparingly co- 

 vered with short hairs ; upper part brownish-black bordered 

 by a broad, irregular, dentated, brown band, which passes 

 above the spinners, but whose continuity is interrupted in front 

 by a black streak intersecting it at right angles ; this band is 

 very thickly spotted with white anteriorly, the white spots on 

 the posterior portion being fewer, smaller, and intermixed 

 with some of a blackish hue ; an indistinct series of curved, 

 angular lines of a brown colour extends along the middle ; 

 their convexity is towards each other, and their apices are di- 

 rected forwards; above the spinners are several small, yel- 

 lowish-white spots ; the sides are brown minutely spotted with 

 white, and a curved, brownish-black band extends from the 

 anterior part of each nearly half way towards the spinners; 

 under side of the abdomen dark-brown, with four minute, 

 yellowish-white, compound spots forming a large quadrangle. 

 Sexual organs prominent, cylindrical, and brownish-black. 

 Plates of the spiracles of a brown colour. 



Length, from the anterior part of the cephalothorax to the 

 extremity of the abdomen, £th of an inch ; length of the ce- 

 phalothorax y 1 ^ ; breadth T l 7 ; breadth of the abdomen J- ; length 

 of an anterior leg JL ; length of a leg of the third pair T 5 n . 



The abdomen of the male is more slender than that of the 

 female and darker-coloured, but the relative length of the legs 

 is the same ; the absolute length of these organs, however, is 

 greater, an anterior leg measuring |^ths of an inch. The 

 third and fourth joints of the palpi are short, the latter, which 

 is much the stronger, being fringed with long bristles on the 

 outer side of the upper part ; the fifth joint is oval, convex ex- 

 ternally, concave within, comprising the sexual organs ; they 

 are highly developed, complex with spiny processes, and are 

 of a dark reddish-brown colour. 



I discovered this species in the autumn of 1832, in the plan- 

 tations about Crumpsall Hall, and in the ensuing year I me f . 

 with it in the woods at Oakland, in the month of May, at which 

 season it pairs. In its habits, and in the construction of its 

 web, which is usually fabricated among coarse herbage or low 

 bushes, it resembles the other species of the genus. If it be 

 compared with Neriene marginata, it will be seen immediately 

 how easy the transition is from the Nerience to the Linyphice. 



2 Y2 



