174 J. H. Emerton, 
Among the Epeiride, Zilla atrica is the only additional species 
found since the publication of New England Epeiride in 1884, but 
the males of the following species are described: FE. corticarta 
E. Nordmann, E. junipert, E. thaddeus. 
The separation of the Theridide and Linyphiade as two distinct 
families seems to me an improvement, and I have adopted it in 
this paper, but not the union of the Limyphiade and Epeiride 
into one family, which obscures the marked differences between 
these two groups. Between certain genera of these families the 
family differences are hard to define, but the same is true of the 
differences between genera of the Theridide and Linyphiade. 
The Linyphiade are divided naturally into two subfamilies— 
Linyphiee and Erigonee, the former containing the larger long- 
legged forms, and the latter the smaller forms with short legs and 
short spines. The genus Microneta in the Linyphiew resembles in 
its form the ELrigonee, and its species are hard to distinguish from 
those of Zmeticus. The most typical species are varia, cornupalpts 
and discolor. Microneta (Bathyphantes) d:hamatus belongs to this 
genus rather than Bathyphantes. Two new species are described 
and new specimens have been examined of all the old species 
except crassimanus, furcata, longibulbus and olivacea. 
In the Linyphiew the principal additions are Linyphia maculata, 
which has been found sparingly in many different localities and 
described by Banks as L. conferta Hentz, and Tapinopa bitineata 
Banks, which has been found singly in several localities. 
In the Erigonew more than in any other group, new species are 
frequently found, and our descriptions are often. made from one or 
a few individuals. They live for the most part near the ground, 
hidden in moss and leaves, only small quantities of which can be 
closely examined, and so little is known about their species and 
distribution. In their classification they offer many difficulties. Their 
small size makes their comparison inconvenient, and their uniformity 
in form and color makes it hard to define their differences. The 
only characters easy to see and describe are those of the adult 
males—the organs on the ends of the palpi and the modifications 
of the head. In consequence of these difficulties, the published 
classifications consist of a number of ill-defined genera, which have 
been formed from time to time, as new species were discovered, 
and the relations of which among themselves have never been 
satisfactorily explained. In the New England Theridide I used a 
classification based upon the genera of Menge in the Spiders of 
Prussia, and in the present paper follow substantially the same, be- 
