NEW AND RARE SPIDERS. 89 



June, 1890; some were adult, but for the most part they were 

 immature. 



GEN : THERIDIOSOMA (Cambr.) 

 THERIDIOSOMA ARGENTEOLUM. 



Tlieridiosoma argenteolum Cambr. Spid. Dors,, pp. 428, 572. 



On the 25th of June, 1890, I met with an adult male and 

 females of this rare and curious spider in a swamp at Hyde, near 

 Bloxworth. Among the females was an entirely black one; 

 excepting in colour it did not differ from the others. 



Dr. McCook in his work on " American Spiders and their 

 Spinning Work," vol. i., pp. 195, 207, has a chapter on a spider 

 which he believes to be of this genus, and, if not identical 

 it seems to be of a nearly allied species. The American 

 spider spins a somewhat irregular geometric web, which it 

 keeps taut by a central line held in its claws, with the slack 

 line gathered between its feet. The spider, when an insect comes 

 upon its snare, springs it by suddenly releasing the line, when, as 

 the author describes it, the slack line sharply uncoils, the spider 

 shoots forward, the whole web relaxes, and the spiral lines are 

 thrown round the insect. This is repeated several times before the 

 prey is seized. I have not yet succeeded in finding T. argenteolum 

 in any snare whatever. The localities it inhabits make it peculiarly 

 difficult to carry out any observations on the subject. Examples 

 kept some time in confinement by my nephew, Rev. F. 0. P. 

 Cambridge, showed no disposition to spin any snare at all. 



GEN. : LEPTYPHANTES (Sim.) 



LEPTYPHANTES PINICOLA. 

 Leptypliantes pinicola Sim. Aran. de France Tom. v., p. 312, 



fig. 76, 77. 



F. 0. P. Cambridge. Ann and Mag. 



N. H., ser. 6, vol. vii., p. 78, pi. ii., 

 fig. iii. 



Several examples of this very distinct little spider (both male 

 and female) were found by my nephew, Rev. F. 0. P. Cambridge, 



