350 Mr. J. Blackwall's Characters of some 



I procured specimens of this spider in the spring of 183.% 

 in the woods at Oakland, but they were all males, and I have 

 not yet discovered the female. 



Genus, Nephila, Leach. 

 Nephila Turncri. 

 I have seen the female only of this spider. Its cephalotho- 

 rax is nearly quadrilateral, the major axis being in the direc- 

 tion of the abdomen ; it is notched behind, and the posterior 

 region is depressed, with a deep indentation in the medial 

 line ; the anterior part is rather narrower, and convex ; the 

 lateral margins are rough with minute tubercles, and two very 

 conspicuous ones occur near its middle; the whole of the 

 upper surface is black, thinly covered with short hairs of a 

 silvery lustre. Eyes disposed in two transverse rows on the 

 anterior part of the cephalothorax ; the four intermediate ones, 

 which are seated on an eminence, form a square, the two in 

 front being rather the largest of the eight, and the other four 

 are in pairs placed obliquely on abrupt tubercles, one on each 

 side of the square. Mandibles robust, conical, perpendicular, 

 black, and furnished with teeth on the inner surface. Maxillae 

 straight, powerful, and enlarged at their extremities which are 

 rounded. Lip rather longer than broad, and subacuminated 

 at the apex. These organs are black, the inner margins of 

 the former, and the tip of the latter being of a red-brown co- 

 lour. Pectus heart-shaped with three pointed projections in 

 front, two lateral, and one intermediate, the last situated im- 

 mediately below the lip; its colour is yellow finely bordered 

 with black, an oblong black spot occupying the medial line of 

 the posterior region, on each side of which is a smaller one 

 placed on the hinder part of a prominence contiguous to the 

 insertion of each leg of the third pair. Legs long and with- 

 out brushes or tufts of hair ; first pair the longest, then the 

 second, the third pair being the shortest; they are black, the 

 thighs excepted, which are yellow with black extremities; the 

 first joint of the tarsi is very long, and the last or terminal one 

 remarkably short, comparatively; the two superior tarsal claws 

 are pectinated, and the inferior one is inflected near its base ; 

 each of the coxae has a rounded, glossy protuberance on the 

 under side, near its articulation with the pectus, those on the 

 last pair being the largest, and those on the anterior pair the 

 least apparent. Palpi black, terminated by a small claw and 

 some strong spines; the third joint is very short. Abdomen 

 long, somewhat cylindrical, projecting over the base of the 

 cephalothorax, of a yellow-brown colour. 



Length, from the anterior part of the cephalothorax to the 



