BY \V. J. RAINBOW. 



527 



Sternum yellowish, shield-shaped, convex, lateral edges fringed 

 with rather long yellowish hairs, the surface moderately clothed 

 with short yellowish pubescence. 



Abdomen ovate, moderately projecting over base of cephalo- 

 thorax, dun-coloured ; the superior surface ornamented with 

 two broken longitudinal lines of a somewhat darker colour; these 

 commence well forward and terminate near posterior extremity, 

 below which there are again two strongly curved concolorous 

 transverse bars, the curvature directed backwards. 



Epiyyne a dark somewhat circular protuberance, uneven in 

 outline, and hollow within. 



Hah. — Guildford. 



In pursuing the study of the architecture of the Araneidoe, the 

 student cannot fail to be struck by the poverty of the literature 

 on the subject. In so far as Australia is concerned, practically 

 nothing has been done, and yet the wealth of material at hand 

 is so vast, that the wonder is it should have remained so long 

 neglected. Singulai'ly enough what is true of Australia is equally 

 so in regard to other countries. To be sure, some authors, such 

 as McCook*, Wagnerf, and Cambridge^ have given the matter 

 great attention, but the majority of writers seem content with 

 merely describing species, and publishing on rare occasions a few 

 fragmentary notes, while others draw their conclusions from 

 observations on the work performed by spiders when in captivity. 

 In many instances these are misleading, because a captive often 

 constructs an edifice entirely different from the one invariably met 

 with in its natural haunts. Nevertheless it will be readily con- 

 ceded that much valuable knowledge may be gained by intelli- 

 gently noting the habits of these creatures when in a state of 

 captivity, and comparing the observations with those acquired in 



* American Spiders and their Spinning Work; also various papers in the 

 Vnlinnes of Proceedings of the Acad, of Nat. Sciences, Philadelphia. 



+ L'Indastrie des Araneina. Mum. de I'.Acad. Imp. des Sci. de St. 

 PtHersbourg. vii^ S6rie, Tome xlii. No. 11, 1894. 



% Spiders of Dorset. 



