DESCRIPTION OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 245 



bluntly pointed at the apex, longer than wide, blackish brown margins, with a yellow 

 median band, with short yellowish hairs, particularly along the margins; sternal cones 

 prominent ; the labium wide at the base, but ratlier low, sulitriangular ; the maxillre gibbous, 

 somewhat, but little longer than wide. 



Eyes : Ocular quad somewhat wider in front than behind, and decidedly longer than 

 wide ; the eyes differ little in size, are upon black bases ; MF separated by about 1.5 

 diameter, MR by about one diameter; the side eyes contiguous, SR placed well behind, 

 though somewhat to the side of, SF ; equal in size; smaller than the middle group, and, 

 like them, upon black bases. The space between SF and MF is slightly less than the space 

 between MF ; the distance between MR and SR is slightly greater than the intervening 

 space of MR ; the clypeus has the height of about 1.5 diameter ^IF ; the front row is 

 recurved, the rear row procurvetl ; and the eyes are so arranged that they form a nearly 

 continuous oval. 



Leg.s : 1^2, 4, 3, the fourth pair nearly as long as first and second ; long, strong, with- 

 out being stout ; yellow or olive, with slight touches of darker color at the extreme apical 

 points of the joints; provided with long, yellowish brow^n, thin spines.' 



Abdomen : Cylindrical, much longer than wide, thickest at the base, which is rounded 

 and somewhat overhangs the cephalothorax, and has slight conical shoulder humps; dorsum 

 slightly arched ; the apex rounded and projected at the dorsum somewhat beyond the base 

 of the apical wall, thus overhanging the spinnerets, which project from the distal part back- 

 ward; the color is yellow, with a shade of olive, the folium a wide band, with compressed 

 edges, passing the entire length, a silvery white line marking the margins, which are bor- 

 dered with a narrow ribbon of rosy hue ; the sides are marked with longitudinal stripes of 

 yellow and blackish brown; the venter has a broad, rectangular belt of black, with yellowish 

 brown bordere, passing around the yellowish brown spinnerets ; the epigj'num is without a 

 scapus, the atriolum showing as a horseshoe shaped arch, widely opening downward, with 

 convolutions within on either side marking the portulte. 



Distribution : Texas ; District of Columbia ; probably the Southern States. A single 

 female specimen was found by me in Texas, distinguished by the peculiar and beautiful 

 web, fully described in Vol. I. The correctness of my observation was long questioned, 

 until Dr. Marx discovered specimens in the Government grounds in \Vashington, and was 

 fortunate enough to observe the method of spinning the web and the character of the 

 cocoon. 



Genus META, C. Koch, 1836. 



The species of Meta are characterized by an oval cephalothorax, whose corselet is 

 rounded at the sides, truncate at the base, high, with deeply indented summit, distinct 

 corselet grooves and cephalic suture ; the caput is arched and elevated above the corselet, 

 and is wide at the face. The sternum is somewhat longer than wide. The labium is 

 long, rectangular at the base, rounded at the tip, and less than half the height of the 

 maxillae, which are decidedly longer than wide, and present a marked characteristic. 

 The eyes are arranged in three groups, but the side eyes are more nearly approximated 

 to the middle group than in Epeira, the space between the sidefront and midfront not 

 exceeding the area of the latter. The intervening space between the siderear and midrear 

 eyes is somewhat greater. The front row of eyes is recurved, the rear row aligned, or 

 nearly so, and the clypeus is of good height. The legs are long, the metatarsus propor- 

 tionately much longer than the tarsus ; the pubescence is abundant, long, thin, aculeate 

 bristles covering the surface, together with long, thin spines. The abdom.en is a short, 

 even ovate, the dorsum arched, the base and apex rounded, the latter slightly over- 

 hanging the distal spinnerets. The male resembles the female in form, color, and size. 

 The palpal joints, however, are not proportionately as long as the legs, but, on the con- 

 trary, are relatively rather short. 



' Fig. 2, Plate XIV., is defective in the shape of the legs. 



