DESCRIPTION OF OENEKA AND SPECIES. 153 



CEI-HALOTIIOKAX : A rounded oval, eloping gradually backward from the deep circular 

 fosse and forward to the eye space ; head quadrate ; cephalic suture distinct ; slightly pubes- 

 cent ; color orange yellow. Sternum cordate, dark brown, sternal cones distinct ; labium 

 semicircular; muxilhe well rounded, as wide as long. 



EVEN : The ocular quad is somewhat longer than the greatest width ; the front wider 

 and more elevated than the rear. (Fig. .'(a.) MFareon tubercles, are separated about 1.75 

 diameter, are slightly longer than MR, which are separated about or less than one diame- 

 ter. MK distant from SF about 1.5 their intervening space. MR from SR about two 

 alignments. The side eyes are on tubercles, are divided by more than a radius ; SR 

 slightly smaller than SF, and placed well behind but a little to the side. The front row 

 is slightly recurved, the rear row slightly procurved ; MF from margin of clypeus about 

 two diameters. 



LEGS: 1, 2, 4, 3 ; uniform light orange yellow, the tips of the terminal joints alone 

 having narrow darker annuli ; not heavily pubescent, rather sparsely provided with short 

 dark spines. Palps colored and armed as the legs ; mandibles conical, color orange yellow. 



ABDOMEN : Well arched, oval, broadest at the base, tapering to the distal spinnerets; 

 color yellow, folium widest anteriorly, a white median patch on the basal front, mottled 

 white and rosy centre and brownish indentations; sloping bands of alternate white and 

 orange mark the sides. The venter has a somewhat triangular patch of black or dark 

 brown (3b), nearly surrounded by a band of yellow widest at the spinnerets. Two lunettes 

 of yellow color are on either side of the base of the spinnerets. The epigynutn (3c) has a 

 well defined scapue, flattened, of almost equal width throughout, and slightly spooned at 

 the tip. 



MALE: 7 mm. long; in color and markings resembling the female. The legs are uni- 

 form dark orange yellow, more heavily armored than female with brown spines and gray 

 bristles. Tibia-II is not swollen, has no special clasping spines, but numerous long brown 

 spines symmetrically arranged in rows. Tibia-I is similarly armed. The palpal digit, 3d, 

 somewhat resembles that of E. patagiata. 



DISTKIHUTION: New York; I have two immature females from Ithaca, N. Y. (Mr. N. 

 Banks), and a mature male, and female lacking one moult of maturity taken by me at Alex- 

 andria Bay on the St. Lawrence River. 1 



No. 12. Epeira placida HKNTZ. Plate IV., Figs. 4, 4a, 5, 5a. 



1847. Epeira />lii<-iil<i, HENTZ J. B. S., v., 475 ; Sp. U. S., p. 115, xiii., 12. 



1884. Epeira placida, EMERTON .... N. E. Ep., 316, xxxiv., 2 ; xxxvi., 10-13. 



FEMALE: This beautiful spider is one of the smallest of our indigenous Epeira. Among 

 numerous specimens I have only one that equals 4 mm. in length. It is strongly marked, 

 especially upon the abdomen, where the colors are white or whitish yellow, with a prom- 

 inent, blackish brown median band. Total length, 3 mm. ; abdomen, 2.5 mm. long by l. 

 mm. wide; cephalothorax, 1.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide. 



CEPHALOTHORAX : Cordate, the corselet rounded at the edges, rather high, pitched 

 sharply backward, the head gradually depressed to the face, the fosse a longitudinal slit; 

 in these features resembling E. forata, and differing from typical Epeira. The color yel- 

 low or dark yellow, with a broad median band of brown or blackish brown, widest at 

 the eyes ; the skin glossy, slightly pubescent, with grayish hairs upon the sides of the caput ; 

 sternum shield shape, acute at the apex, wide at the base, brown or blackish brown ; at 

 the margins a broad, yellow median band; the labium short, triangular; the maxillae as 

 wide or nearly as wide as long, sharply truncated at the tips ; color of labium and maxilhc 

 yellowish brown. 



EYES : Ocular quad upon a squarish eminence projecting in front, somewhat longer than 

 wide ; the width in front and behind nearly the same, but slightly greater in front ; the 



1 In reviewing this description since preparation of plates I am inclined to think the above a 

 small varietal form of Epeira marmorea, 



