224 T. THORELL, 
Elvina N.'). This genus appears to be distinguished by the palpi being 
evidently thicker than the legs. Its nearer relationships it is not possible from 
v. HEYDENS description and figure to determine: probably it may belong 
to the Tubitelariæ, aud possibly to the Agalenoide (Argyronetine). 
In the also miocene fresh-water strata of Œningen (near the Lake of 
Constance in Switzerland), OSWALD HEER ?) has met with no less than 28 spe- 
cies of spiders, which it is however difficult to affiliate to any certain genera, 
as the position of the eyes etc. cannot be distinguished. Herr thinks they 
may be referred to 10 genera, which, with one exception, are still existing. 
These spiders are not described, but eleven species have been figured and 
named: of these one is assigned to Æpeira, 3 to Theridium, 1 to Argyro- 
neta [-necta], 1 to Clubiona, 1 to Micaria |Macaria] and 3 to " Thomisus”. 
But scarcely one of these species appears to be in so good a state of pre- 
servation that the identifications can be considered as fully certain. Zhe- 
ridium maculipes HEER (loc. cit., p. 356, fig. 219) is more like an Asagena 
than a Theridium. Thomisus œningensis HEER (fig. 215) would seem to be 
a Xysticus. Clubiona Eseri HEER, which is stated to be very like CT. la- 
nata KocH et DER. (of which more hereafter) is assuredly no Clubiona, nor 
is Argyroneta longipes HEER any Argyroneta. These two species seem to 
form each its own separate genus. For one species HEER forms, as we 
have above stated, a new genus: 
Schellenbergia HEER 1865). Of his S. rotundata (fig.211) HEER says, 
that it is distinguished by "the short palpi with a large, globular terminal 
joint, short and almost globular abdomen, pressed close to the breast, and 
provided with transversal impressions. The third pair of legs is the short- 
est, all the others being of nearly equal length. The thighs are furnished 
with a longitudinal rib." The animal (a c7) belongs without doubt to the 
Retitelariæ, and appears to me to stand between Æpisinus and Ero. 
In the fossil vegetable resin known under the name of amber, which is 
met with in various Brown-coal strata, and is copiously thrown by the waves 
on the southern coasts of the Baltic, especially the coast of Prussia and 
the Kurische Haaff, and which also belongs to the tertiary ("oligocene") pe- 
riod, numerous spiders are found, and are, in general, well preserved. The 
principal work on the subject of these Amber Spiders is that of KocH and 
BERENDT: Die im Bernstein befindtlichen Crustaceen, Myriapoden, Arachniden 
1) Elvina, mythol. proper name. 
2) Die Urwelt der Schweitz, p. 355—358. (Zürich 1865). 
3) J. R. SCHELLENBERG, a Swiss entomologist. 
