80 Mr. J. Blackwall on new sjjecies of 



satisfying myself; but it is evidently distinct from Epeira affinis, 

 many varieties of which were included in the Canadian spiders 

 collected by Professor Potter. 



24. Epeira approximata. 



Length of the female y%ths of an inch ; length of the cephalo- 

 thorax -J^ ; breadth ^^ ; breadth of the abdomen J:^ ; length of 

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



Cephalo-thorax large, (compressed before, truncated in front, 

 moderately convex, glossy, with furrows on the sides diverging 

 towards the lateral margins, and a large indentation in the me- 

 dial line of the posterior region ; its colour is dull yellow, the an- 

 terior part, which is sparingly covered with hoary hairs, being 

 tinged with red. Eyes disposed in two transverse rows on the 

 anterior part of the cephalo-thorax ; the four intermediate ones 

 are seated on a prominence and form a square nearly, the eyes of 

 the anterior pair, which are the largest of the eight, being rather 

 more distant from each other than those of the posterior pair ; 

 the eyes of each lateral pair are placed obliquely on a tubercle, 

 but are not contiguous. Mandibles powerful, conical, vertical, 

 and armed with two rows of teeth on the inner surface ; their 

 colour is pale red-brown, the fang being dark reddish brown. 

 Maxillse short, strong, enlarged and rounded at the extremity : 

 lip semicircular and slightly pointed : sternum heart-shaped, 

 with eminences on the margins opposite to the articulation of 

 the legs : these parts are dark red-brown, with the exception of 

 the extremities of the maxillse and lip, which are yellowish brown. 

 Legs robust, provided with hairs and spines ; first pair the long- 

 est, then the second, third pair the shortest ; they are of a dull 

 yellow colour, with red-brown annuli at the joints, the tarsi being 

 reddish brown. The palpi are dull yellow, except the extremity 

 of the digital joint, which is reddish brown. Abdomen oviform, 

 thinly clad with hoary hairs, convex above, projecting greatly 

 over the base of the cephalo-thorax ; the upper part is yellow, 

 with four very conspicuous, sunken, brown spots forming a tra- 

 pezoid whose narrowest side is before ; posterior part and sides 

 faintly tinged with brown ; middle of the under part brownish 

 black, with a curved, yellow line on each side, whose extremity 

 does not extend to the spinners. Connected with the superior 

 margin of the sexual organs is a long, striated, prominent mem- 

 branous process, curved downwards at its base and recurved at 

 its extremity. Spinners and plates of the spiracles dark brown. 



In immature individuals of this species, which is nearly allied 

 to Epeira vulpecula (see Baron AValckenaer's Hist. Nat. des Insect. 

 Apt. t. 2. p. 69), the faint outline of a festooned band may be 



