5^ -/ H. Emerton — Nein England Therididm. 



TmetiCUS Menge. 



These spiders are all small and dull colored, many of them appear- 

 ing like young of larger species. They usually have short legs and 

 a low body like the smaller species of TAnyphia^ between which and 

 this genus it is hard to draw a line. The males do not have any 

 horns or humps, though they sometimes differ in size from the females. 

 The males of several species have a prominent tooth on the front of 

 the mandibles near the inner coi-ner. Plate XV. The male palpi have 

 the tibia? widened at the distal end and furnished with various teeth 

 and hooks, the shape of whicii is characteristic of the various species, 

 and is the plainest ditterence between this genus and the smaller 

 Linyphia. The tarsal hook is smaller than in Linyphla and less 

 variable. Plate XV. They are found under leaves in winter and but 

 seldom on bushes even in summer. 



This group corresponds tolerably well with Menge's Tinetictis, and 

 I have accordingly adopted that name for it. It also includes many 

 of Blackwall's Neriene. 



Tmetictis probatus (Camb.) 



Erigone prolata Camb., Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1875. 

 Plate XV, figure 1. 



Leno-th I'S to 1-8°^"'. Cephalothorax yellowish brown. Legs dull 

 yellow. Abdomen gray with five or six pairs of obscure yellowish 

 transverse markings. The amount of color varies in different indi- 

 viduals, some being almost black and others very pale. The mandibles 

 are longer than the head is high and taper slightly toward the tips. 

 Except in the sexual organs, there is but little difference between the 

 sexes. The male palpi are large and dark colored. The tibia is as 

 wide as long with a hollow in the middle surrounded by various 

 processes. Figs. 1, \a. The tarsal hook is short and thick and partly 

 covered by the teeth of the tibia. The tube of the })alpal organ is 

 short and sixrrounded by short and complicated appendages. Fig, 

 la. Theepigynum has a smooth edge just over the fold, and in light 

 colored specimens the external parts show through the skin just in 

 front of it. 



This is found commonly on fences in autumn in Boston, Mass., and 

 New Haven, Conn., and occurs under leaves in the neighborhood of 

 both these places. 



