144 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



Female: Body length, 15 mm.; cephalothorax, 7 mm. long, 6 mm. wide; abdomen, 

 12 mm. long, 7 mm. wide. This species varies greatly in size, ranging from the above to 

 10 mm. long, and an abdominal width of 5 mm. The description following is of the 

 American variety, E. conspicellata (E. insularis), as the one most prevalent and generally 

 known. The two varieties are so closely interblended that it is often difficult and indeed 

 impossible, to positively distinguish them, but the figures in the plates will sufficiently 

 show the features of the most divergent forms. E. marmorea (Plate III., 6) more closely 

 resembles the European specimens, which I have compared with examples sent me from 

 Russia by Professor W. Wagner. I have found it in northern New York and New England, 

 and not elsewhere. The variety E. conspicellata is the one which appeare to prevail west 

 and south of the above limits. It differs from the forma principalis chiefly by the brighter 

 orange hues, the more sharply outlined folium, and by somewhat more distinctly annulated 

 legs. In general size, form, and habits the species are alike. 



Cephai-othorax : Almost as wide as long; truncated and indented at the base, shelving 

 ujnvard to the fosse, which is deep ; cephalic suture well marked, corselet grooves sufficiently 

 distinct; flat upon top, rounded at sides; head slightly arched, and a very little elevated 

 above the level of the corselet ; color varying from orange to yellow, with darker stripes upon 

 the sides and middle of caput ; skin glossy and lightly pubescent. Sternum heart shaped, 

 indented at the edges, with decided cones in front of the coxse and labium and upon the 

 apex ; flattened in the middle, lightly pubescent, orange brown, with a lighter yellowish 

 median band ; lip longer than wide, rounded at sides, tips subtriangular, more than half 

 the height of the maxillw. Maxilla^ rounded at the sides, tips obtusely triangular and 

 inclined towards each other, length and width about equal. Color of maxillas and lip 

 orange brown, with light )-ellow tips. 



Eyes : Ocular quad on a rounded prominence, wider in front than rear, sides about 

 equal in length to front; MF separated by about 1.3 diameter, and somewhat larger 

 than MH, which are separated by about one diameter. Side eyes on tubercles, SF larger 

 than SR, separated by about the radius of SR ; J\IF lemoved from SF by about 2.5 times 

 their intervening space, or 1.3 their area. Front row recurved, rear row longer and pro- 

 curved. Height of clypeus about 1.5 diameter MF or less ; a line of bristles extends along 

 its margin. 



Legs: Order, 1, 2, 4, 3; color usually a bright orange both above and beneath as far 

 as the tibia, whence the color is yellow, with dark brown or blackish tips at the joints; 

 provided with long gray hairs and stout bristles, yellowish upon the yellow parts and black 

 upon the dark parts ; numerous spines, long, yellowish white, with brown bases. Palps 

 lighter in color than legs, tips black, and terminal joints heavily covered with bristles and 

 spines. 



Abdomen: Ovate, widest about the middle, highly arched on the dorsum, tapering to 

 the distal spinnerets; color usually bright yellow, a broad folium narrowing to the apex 

 with at least six indentations, which are distinctly marked out with broail margins of 

 brown. The median design is composed of a series of cruciform figures and triangles, which 

 vary more or less according to specimens, but are tolerably persistent. The figure upon the 

 base usually resembles a ]\Ialtese cross, though sometimes the upper arm is obliterated, 

 giving the appearance of a trefoil. The next figure is sometimes cruciform, but the central 

 part is occasionally obliterated, leaving the points grouped as a quatrefoil. Waving lines of 

 yellow brown pass along the sides from dorsum to spinnerets. The ventral figure is a sub- 

 triangular patch of veh'ety brown or black, bordered by a horseshoe band of yellow. Six 

 compressed spots are arranged on either side of the median line. The spinnerets are 

 usually orange color, though sometimes brown or blackish, with a yellow spot at either side 

 of the base. The epigynum (Plate I., Figs, la, lb; Figs. 2, 2a) has, in some examples, at 

 least, the receptacles thrown up prominenth' above the surface ; the scapus long, wrinkled, 

 of nearly equal length throughout, but somewhat narrowing toward the tip, which is 

 spooned, and the entire under surface furrowed. 



Male : Individuals vary much in size, one specimen before me being 9 mm. long; 

 cephalothorax, 5 mm. long liy 4 mm. wide across the corselet, diminishing to about 2 mm. 



