304 J. IT. Emerton — Neio Emfland Ejyeiridce. 



of smaller niedian triangular spots. The dark portions of the folium 

 on the first segment are distinctly separated from the rest by the 

 gaps in the edges of the folium and a light area extending back to 

 the scicond ])air of muscular spots. The dark areas at the sides of 

 the folium on the hinder segments are broken by lighter transverse 

 stripes on each segment. Beneath the abdo7nen are the usual semi- 

 circular bright yellow markings, partly enclosing a dark spot which 

 extends back to the spinnerets. Very dark ijidividuals have the 

 dark markings of the abdomen black and the lighter marks bright 

 Avhite, and very light individuals have all the markings light yellow- 

 ish brown and indistinct. This is the most common Epeira about 

 barns and fences and especially on wharves and bridges, but is sel- 

 dom foimd on j)lants and never far from houses. It seems to be com- 

 mon all over the country, and equally so in Europe. It makes its 

 web usually toward evening and remains in it during the night, but 

 in the daytime liides in some crack near by where it makes a slight 

 shelter of silk. It sometimes holds a thread leading to the center of 

 tbe web. Adults are found at all seasons but most abundantly in 

 the summer. I have seen the cocoons in June. 



The male differs from the female chiefly in greater length of the 

 front legs and smaller size of the abdomen. The palpi are short. 

 The tarsus has a slight notch at the base behind which a blunt pro- 

 cess turns up toward the end of the palpus. The palpal organ is 

 twisted together and partly enclosed in the tarsus. The tube is 

 very short and simple, near the middle of the palpal organ under 

 the ends of the other appendages. The largest of these is a hard 

 forked process near the base of the bulb. Beyond this and near the 

 tube is a thin, flat appendage, and at the end of the organ beyond 

 the tube is a large hook with a shorter roughened process at itf 

 base. 



The epigynum has two hard prominences between which is a flex- 

 ible, finger-like a])pendage. In sclopetaria and strir this finger is 

 narrow and usually turned up at the end. In patayiata the finger 

 is wide and flat, and dark colored at the end. 



Under the name of Ep)cira indffaris, Hentz probably included this 

 and other allied species. The picture from which his figure of 

 E. vulgaris is engraved may be from this species, but quite as likely 

 from some southern spider not described here. 



