Spiders captured in Canada. 79 
upper side with two long bristles directed forwards; the radial 
joint is larger than the cubital, and projects a strong process 
from its outer side, which is gibbous above near its base, and is 
amply provided with long hairs; the digital joint is somewhat 
oval, with a procéss at its superior extremity curved outwards ; 
it is convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the 
palpal organs, which are highly developed, complicated in struc- 
ture, with a large, erect, bifid process at their upper part having 
a projection near the extremity and a gibbosity near the base of 
the larger limb on the inner side; lower down is a prominent, 
depressed, yellowish brown process, which is enlarged and rounded. 
at its extremity ; contiguous to this, on the inner side, are the 
somewhat pointed terminations of three prominent processes, the 
largest of which curves round the extremity of the palpal organs, 
whose colour is reddish brown with yellowish brown intermixed. 
The convex sides of the digital joints are directed towards each 
other. 
Epéira affinis, though very closely related to Epétra apoclisa, 
may be distinguished from it by its superior size, by differences 
in external organization, and by the legs of the male considerably 
exceeding in length those of the female. Lister, it is true, in 
comparing the sexes of Hpéira apoclisa, remarks of the male, that 
“et pedes et tela longiora;” De Aran. p. 37. Walckenaer also 
states that “le male a les pattes beaucoup plus longues ;” Nat. 
Hist. des Insect. Apt. t. 2. p. 63; but as regards every specimen, 
whether British or continental, which I have had an opportunity 
of measuring, the reverse has invariably proved to be the fact. 
Among the more obvious structural differences observable in 
the organs of reproduction in males-of these species are the fol- 
lowing. The erect, bifid process at the upper part of those or- 
gans in EHpéwa apoclisa is proportionably longer and slenderer, 
is without the projection near the extremity of the larger limb on 
the inner side, and the gibbosity near its base is much smaller 
and situated lower ; there are, besides, the extremities of two pro- 
cesses only contiguous to the inner side of the prominent, yel- 
lowish brown process, the larger of which curves round the lower 
part of the sexual organs, and terminates in a slender, finely- 
pointed spine. 
Whether the opinion entertained by Koch, that the Hpéira de- 
scribed by him under the specific name of foliata* differs from 
Epéira apoclisa, and is identical with the American spider at 
present regarded by Baron Walckenaer as a mere variety of that 
species+, be well-founded or not, I do not possess the means of 
* Die Arachn. B. 11. p. 119. tab. 387. fig. 920, 921. 
+ Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt. t. 2. p. 62. 
