J. II. Emerton — Weio England Tlierididm. 9 



The legs are long and slender and the spines are small. The eyes are 

 nearly of the same size and at nearly equal distances from each other, 

 except the lateral pairs which are close together. The maxillfe are 

 longer than wide and pointed at the inner corners. The mandibles 

 are small and differ in the sexes in several species, those of the males 

 being much longer, with a long claw and large teeth on the inner 

 side. The males are usually darker colored and more slender than 

 the females, and in some species differ greatly from them. The webs 

 of this genus consist of a small, closely woven portion, sometimes 

 forming a tent and covered with dirt and pieces of plants, and a large 

 loose part composed of threads radiating irregularly from the first in 

 all directions. The spider usually stands back downward under the 

 tent or close portion of the web. The eggs are laid in round cocoons, 

 which hang in the web or are concealed under the thickest part of it. 



Theridium differens, new. 



Plate I, figures 1 to Id 



Length of female, about 3"""; male 2'""'; a little smaller than mnra- 

 rhirn. The herring-bone stripe on the abdomen of females is often very 

 brightly colored, white at the edges and red in the middle. The rest 

 of the abdomen is reddish brown, darkest next the white edges of the 

 stripe; there are no distinct spots on the under side. In males the 

 stripe on the abdomen is obscure and the whole abdomen dark red- 

 dish brown. These colors vary greatly, and especially with young 

 individuals, the abdomen is often entirely yellow with indistinct brown 

 markings. The cephalothorax is orange brown without dark stripes. 

 The legs and palpi yellow in females and orange brown in males, 

 slightly darker at the ends of the joints. Sternum orange without 

 markings. The difference in size and color between the sexes is 

 greater than in the other species of this genus. The epigynum has 

 no opening on the outside. Fig. \c. The palpal organ is large, the 

 end of the tube supported by a soft appendage, opposite to which the 

 bulb has a conical process covered with short scale-like teeth. Fig. \h. 

 This spider lives on grass and low bushes where it is taken abund- 

 antly throughout the suramei'. In winter tlie young are found under 

 leaves. The webs are seen to the best advantage on the horizontal 

 branches of spruce trees. The spider spins a small tent under the 

 twigs from which the web spreads irregularly according to the shape 

 of the branch. 



From Mt. Washington, N. H.; Portland, Me.; Eastern Massachu- 

 setts ; Mt. Tom, Mass.; New Haven, Conn. 



Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. VI. 2 Sept., 1882. 



