DESCRIPTION OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 205 



Abdomen: About one third longer than wide, rectangular-ovate, the form difficult to 

 describe. The dorsum appears to be flattened or concave, and provided on the margins 

 with a series of conical protuberances, which terminate in points more or less blunted. 

 The shoulder humps are bifid, one of the projections terminating in a long, curved, 

 corneous point, something like the horns of a cow. The apex is about as thick as the base, 

 the spinnerets distal, but overhung by the projecting and tuberculated apex. The dorsal 

 surface is thickly covered with short golden yellow haire; about the middle on each side 

 rises one pair of horns, beneath which, upon the sides and a little posterior, is another 

 process projecting laterally. The apex of the dorsum is divided into at least four mammal- 

 like projections, and in the middle of the apical wall is a fifth. The sides are covered with 

 golden yellow pubescence. At the base of the cones are flecks of brownish hue. The 

 venter is golden yellow, covered with pubescence; the spiunerets blackish brown. Tlie 

 epigynum (Figs, la, lb) has a brief columnar atriolum of dark brown, from which projects 

 a scapus very wide at the base, from the middle of which issues a short rounded point. 



M.vle: Total length, 4.9 mm.; cephalothorax, 2.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide ; fiicial width, 

 1.1 mm.; abdomen, 2.4 mm. long, 1.8 mm. wide. The male resembles the female in general 

 characters and colors, but is smaller. The face lacks the dark transverse baud observed 

 upon the female. The abdomen differs from that of the female in having the shoulder 

 tubercles single instead of bifid. The legs are all provided with short strong spines ; order 

 of length, 1, 2=4, 3, as follows: 7.9, 6.2, 6.2, 4.6. Tibia-II is thicker than tibia-I, and 

 armed with more and stronger spines. Coxa-I has an obtuse spur at its under side, and 

 the fourth coxa a smaller and sharply pointed one. 



Distribution : Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and probably throughout the entire Southern 

 States. According to Cambridge, this interesting and curious spider has been collected in 

 Guatemala and Panama, and is prol)ably distributed throughout Central America. (Marx 

 Collection.) 



Genus WIXIA, Cambridge, 1882. 



The genus Wixia is especially differenced from Epeira : (1) By the shape of the caput, 

 which is not narrowed in front, but is wide, or even a little wider than the base; (2) by 

 the strong eye eminence upon which the ocular quad is placed, the lower part of which 

 towers above and overhangs the face ; (3) by the excessive size of the rear eyes of the 

 middle group ; (4) by the fact that both eye rows are procurved, and that the separating 

 distance between the side group and the middle group is greater than the proportionate 

 height of the clypeus, which is even greater than that of the length of the ocular quad, 

 which (5) also differs from that of Epeira in having the rear width greater even than the 

 length; (6) in the fact that the abdomen, which is cylindrical-ovate, is carried by the 

 spider in a plane almost at right angles to that of the cephalothorax. 



The male of the genus is also distinguished by the above characteristics, though in a 

 modified form. The legs are especially marked by blackish denticulate spines placed 

 underneath femora-II and IV, and similar spines placed upon both their trocliauter and 

 coxse, also upon coxa^II. Corneous spurs mark the articulation of coxee-I. 



No. 60. Wixia ectypa (Walckenaer). Plate XIII, Figs. 4, 5. 



1842. Epeira ectypa, W.\lckenaeb . . . Ins. .\pt., ii., p. 129. 



1850. Epeira infumatci, Hextz J. B. S., p. 19; Sp. U. S., p. 122, xiv., 4. 



1863. Epeira ectypa, Keyserling . . . Beschr. n. Orbit., Isis, p. 135, vi.. Figs. 13-10. 



1884. Epeira infumala, Emerton . . . N. E. Ep., 319, xxxvii., 11, 12, 13. 



1890. Epeira infumata, Marx Catalogue, p. 544. 



Female: Total length. 7 mm.; cephalothorax, 3.5 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, 2 mm. at 

 the face ; abdomen, 6.5 mm. long, 5 mm. wide, narrowing to 2.5 mm. at the base and 

 1.0 mm. at the apex. 



