A HISTORY OF KENT 

 ARACHNIDA 



Spiders 



The spider fauna of this county should be at least as prolific in 

 species as that of any in England, and would doubtless prove to be so 

 if it were well worked. Had it not been for the efforts of the Rev. 

 T. R. R. Stebbing of Tunbridge Wells there would have been scarcely 

 any list to publish ; for the rest, a few species are recorded by the author 

 and Mr. F. P. Smith. A collection of the late Mr. F. Walker, pre- 

 served in the British Museum {Nat. Hist.) as microscopic slides, were 

 collected at Southgate, Middlesex, and do not unfortunately include 

 the types either of Schanobates walkeri or Araneus signatus, species which 

 are probably the immature and variety of well-known spiders respec- 

 tively. Of a total of 534 species of spiders recorded for Great Britain 

 and Ireland, Kent can so far claim but 1 1 8 ; while of Arachnida, in- 

 cluding pseudo-scorpions and harvestmen, there are only 122 species in 

 all. In the following list where no authority or collector is quoted the 

 author takes the responsibility. 



ARANE^ 



ARACHNOMORPHM 



DYSDERIDiE 



Spiders with six eyes and two pairs of stigmatic openings, situated close together on the 

 genital rima ; the anterior pair communicating with lung books, the posterior with tracheal 

 tubes. Tarsal claws, two in Dysdera, three in Harpactes and Segestria. 



1. Dysdera cambridgii, Thorell. Rare under bark of trees, and recognizable 



Lydd. by its linear ant-like form, black carapace, 

 Not uncommon under stones and bark of and pale clay-yellow abdomen and three tar- 

 trees, where it lurks within a tubular retreat, s*^' daws. 

 The spider is easily recognizable by its elon- 

 gate form, orange legs, dark mahogany cara- 4- Segestria senoculata (Linnasus). 

 pace and pale clay-yellow abdomen. The Sevenoaks. 



palpal bulb of the male has no cross-piece at . , , , i r • , 



L T-L J • 1 1 r> Not common ; under bark of trees, m the 



the apex. 1 he spider is also known as £>. ^ , ' n ■ i 



, TJ1 1 II crevices of loose stone walls and amongst de- 



ervthrvna. clackwall. ,, , „ ....... ° ^ 



■' ^ ' tached rocks. Recognizable by its linear form 



2. Dysdera crocota, C. L. Koch. and the black diamond-shaped blotches on the 



Gravesend (F. P. S.). dorsal surface of the abdomen. 

 Larger than the last species, with a deep 



orange-pink carapace, orange legs, and abdo- 5. Schcenohates walkeri, Blackwall. 

 men with a delicate rosy-pink flush. The Broadstairs (Walker), 



palpal bulb of the male has a cross-piece at , , .,^ ,, .,,,.,. 



the apex. This spider is also known as D. ^r. Walker was in the habit of making 



rubicunda, Blackwall. microscopical slides of his specimens, and it 



is highly probable that this spider was an 



3. Harpactes hombergii (Scopoli). immature Dysderid flattened out by the glass 



Rusthall (T. R. R. S.). cover-slip. 



