314 J. H. Emerton — New England Epeiridce. 



Epeira alboventris, new. 



Plate XXXIV, figure 5. Pl/vte XXXVI, figure 12. 



Length 4""". Abdomen as broad as long, widest in front. The 

 whole body is white except a triangular purple spot on the back of 

 the abdomen. The hairs on the legs are long and white. The spines 

 are light brown. The eyes are colorless but have some dark color 

 around them. The epigynum is light brown and has a short white 

 finger broad and rounded at the end. Plate xxxvi, figure 12. A 

 spider from Western New York, perhaps of this species, has the 

 whole upper side of the abdomen veined with light red and eight 

 darker red spots along the sides. 



One from Peabody, Mass., near Ship rock, one from the north of 

 Maine from F. W. Putnam. 



Epeira labyrinthea iieutz. 



Plate XXXIV, figure 8. Plate XXXVI, figure 11. 



Female about 5'°'" long. The cephalothorax is much longer than 

 wide, dark brown except a white spot around the eyes and several 

 smaller spots along the sides. Tlie legs are white with narrow dark 

 brown rings at the ends of the joints and wider rings of a lighter yel- 

 lowish brown on the ends of the femora, tibiae and the patellae of the 

 first two pairs. There is a small black spot around the base of each 

 spine on the legs of the first two pairs. The abdomen is whitish 

 marked by a distinct black or dark brown folium on the hinder half 

 and including four white spots on the first and second segments, 

 which are more or less connected with each other toward the middle. 

 The mandibles and maxillae are dark brown. The sternum is dark 

 brown with a white middle stripe. The under side of the abdomen 

 is dark brown with a middle white stripe and indistinct light spots 

 along the edges of the dark area. The male is much like the female 

 but with longer legs and smaller body as usual. 



Besides the usual round web, this species makes on one side and 

 above it an irregular web like that of Theridiuin in which is a deep 

 tent with the opening directed toward the center of the round web 

 with which it is connected by a thread. In the autumn the eggs are 

 laid in several flat cocoons which are fastened near the top of the 

 tent, and partly concealed by pieces of leaves and other rubbish 

 fastened to the web. After the leaves have fallen and the webs are 

 destroyed by the weather tlie string of cocoons and rubbish remains 

 fastened, usually to several twigs, l)y strong threads. 



