J. H. Emerton — N'eio England Therididce. 13 



nearly as long as the basal joint, slendei- and straight in the middle 

 and slightly curved inward at the tip. The palpal organ has 

 a large two-toothed process at the tip, and a tube about half the 

 length of the tarsus, supported by a stiff black spine inside and a 

 thin appendage outside. 



One female from English Head, Anticosti L, July 22, 1881, S. 

 Henshaw. Seveial females and one male from Mt. Washington, N. H., 

 June 11, 18*77, in the highest trees. 



Theridmm tepidariorum C. Koch, Die Aracliniden, 1841. 

 Theridion vulgare Hentz. 



Plate II, figure 1. 



This is one of the most common house spiders, but is seldom found 

 on plants or far from houses. The female measures about 6""" in 

 length. The legs of 1st pair are nearly three times as long. The male 

 is shorter and has proportionally longer legs. The legs ai-e 1, 4, 2, 3 

 in females and 1, 2, 4, 3 in males. The color varies from dirty white 

 with a few blackish spots, to almost black. The thorax is yellowish 

 brown. The legs are light yellow with brownish or dusky rings 

 at the ends and middle of the joints. In the males the legs are 

 orange-brown, darker at the ends of the joints. The abdomen, in 

 dark and well marked specimens, has on the hinder part six trans- 

 verse black marks curved upward and thicker in the middle, and 

 more or less connected together by black spots at the ends. These 

 marks are most sharply defined on the hinder edge, where they are 

 bordered by silvery white lines. Tbe upper mark is the largest and 

 forms a cons})icuous black and white spot in the center of the abdo- 

 men. Just in front of this and at the sides are two large black spots 

 much obscured by small black spots and lines. In lighter individu- 

 als these markings are smallei- and less definite. The palpal organ 

 has a short and stout tube supported by a grooved process rough- 

 ened outside at the tip. These project beyond the end of the tarsus 

 and are easily seen. The epigynum has a large oval oi)ening outside. 



This common spider makes a large web, usually in a corner of a 

 room, under furniture, behind the posts of fences, or in some such dry 

 and shady place. It sometimes stands in the web in a thin tent 

 toward which the web is closer than on the outside, but oftener 

 makes its nest in a neighboring crack or corner. A male and female 

 often occupy the same web. The eggs are laid in brownish, pear- 

 shaped cocoons, several of which are made tiie same season by one 



