new Oenera and Species of British Spidertt. 0/3 



Of these the most noticeable will be L. erraus, IM., />. 

 oh/ovffOj Cb., L. decens, Cb., L. microphtlndina^ 01)., L. iacertu, 

 Cb., and .V. /)t/(/in(ca, Bl. And since considerable doubt has 

 from time to time arisen as to the exact identity of some of 

 these, it has been my purpose to endeavour in this paper to 

 clear up the confusion as far as possible. 



The question was hrst raised by Mr. Campbell, of 

 Hoddesdon, who sui^t^^ested that L. oblonga, Cb., and L. 

 erriins, Bl., were really one and the same species, busing his 

 opinion on the |)ri'scnce of forms which he believed to be 

 intermediate between the two, and not to be distinguished 

 from either. 



The Uev. O. Pickard Cambridge has, on the other hand, 

 always maintained the validity and distinctness of these two 

 forms, and some months ago suggested to me a careful exami- 

 nation of all the forms taken by Mr. Campbell, as well as his 

 own specimens. His suggestion has been followed with the 

 result that the distinction of ohlonga and errans has been con- 

 firmed, but that a third species has been discovered amongst 

 those named errans, which has hitherto been quite over- 

 looked. A fourth type has also been distinguished as a 

 separate species, which was looked upon by Mr. Campbell as 

 a link between errans and oblonga. 



A further difficulty of course presented itself in attempting 

 to ascertain which of these species was the original errans of 

 Blackwall. 



The uin-avelling of the matter has been so interesting that 

 I cannot refrain from shortly tracing the steps, more espe- 

 cially as I would like to fully justify my conclusions, since 

 they dilier somewhat from those of Mr. Campbell, to whom 

 1 am indebted both for the material and for the necessary 

 stimulus required to set me to the task. 



I must confine my remarks to those specimens labelled 

 erranSj taking it for granted for the time being that ohlonga 

 is a distinct species. 



Three separate collections have been placed in my hands 

 for examination, including the original types of Mr. Black- 

 wall's errans, as well as specimens named by him in the 

 possession of Dr. Meade, of Bradford. 



The first collection received was a magnificent series sent 

 me by J\lr. F. JMaule-Campbell, of Hoddesdon; the second, 

 a smaller number, from the lie v. O. Pickard Cambridge ; and, 

 lastly, two tubes from Dr. Meade, of Bradford. 



Of the numerous specimens, upwards of two or three 

 hundred, in Mr. Campbell's collection, 1 found adult females 

 of L. oblonga, Cb., and one adult male ; numerous adult 



