22 Mr. J. Blackwall on newly discovered species q/ Araneidea. 



Linyphia ericaa. 



Length of the female y'^th of an inch ; length of the cephalo- 

 thorax -^^ ; breadth j\ ; breadth of the abdomen -^ ; length of 

 an anterior leg ^ ; length of a leg of the third pair /^. 



Eyes seated on black spots; the four intermediate ones de- 

 scribe a trapezoid whose anterior side is the shortest, and those 

 of each lateral pair are placed obliquely on a small tubercle and 

 are almost contiguous ; the anterior eyes of the trapezoid are 

 seated on a slight protuberance, and are much the smallest of 

 the eight. Cephalo-thorax oval, convex, glossy, with an indenta- 

 tion in the medial line : falces conical, vertical, somewhat di- 

 vergent at their extremities, and armed with teeth on the inner 

 surface : maxillse slightly inclined towards the lip, which is semi- 

 circular and prominent at the apex : sternum convex and heart- 

 shaped : legs and palpi long, slender, and provided with hairs 

 and fine spines. These parts have a yellowish brown colour, 

 with the exception of the base of the lip, which has a dark brown 

 hue. The fu'st pair of legs is the longest, then the second pair, 

 which a little surpasses the fourth, and the third pair is the 

 shortest ; each tarsus is terminated by three claws ; the two su- 

 perior ones are curved and slightly pectinated, and the inferior 

 one is inflected near its base. Abdomen oviform, glossy, spa- 

 ringly clothed with hairs, pointed at the spinners, convex above, 

 projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax ; it is of a pale 

 yellow-brown colour, the under part being the darkest ; and the 

 sexual organs, which are of a red-brown hue and are very pro- 

 minent, have a longitudinal process in the middle, which is 

 enlarged at its extremity. 



The male is much smaller than the female, but it closely re- 

 sembles her in colour. The cubital and radial joints of its palpi 

 are short, the latter being the larger ; the digital joint is oval, 

 with a small lobe on the outer side ; it is convex and hairy exter- 

 nally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are 

 highly developed, prominent, complex in structure, with a small 

 crescent-shaped process near their base, on the outer side, whose 

 superior limb is terminated by an acute point which is almost in 

 contact w"ith the extremity of the radial joint ; these organs are 

 of a red-brown colour. 



Specimens of this small species of Linyphia have been found 

 in moss growing among heath in woods about Oakland, and at 

 the roots of heath on Bingley Moor, in Yorkshii-e. Two adult 

 males and an immature female, captured in the latter locality, 

 were received from Mr. R. H. Meade in October 1852. 



