new and rare British Sjyiders. 193 



found at the roots of coarse grass and herbage on the Wey- 

 mouth side of the Chesil Beach, near the Portland Station, 

 on the 6th of June, 1879. It is allied to Drassus criminalis, 

 Cambr., and D. inf meatus, Westr., but is very much smaller 

 and differs totally in the form of the genital aperture, as well 

 as in the relative position of the eyes, though resembling them 

 a good deal in general form and colouring. 



Fam. Theridiides. 

 Genus Steatoda, Sund. 

 Steatoda Clarhii, sp. n. 



Length of an immature female, 2 lines. 



Cephalothorax constricted laterally on the margins at caput, 

 and of a yellow-brown colour. 



Eyes rather large and closely grouped in a transverse-oval 

 figure ; those of the hind-central and lateral pairs nearly equal 

 in size and pearly white ; those of fore-central pair dark- 

 coloured, further apart than those of hind-central pair, but 

 forming a line of nearly equal length ; those of the hinder 

 row equidistant from each other, and separated by intervals 

 of less than an eye's diameter; the four centrals form a 

 square. 



Legs short, 1, 4, 2, 3, tolerably strong, and of a brownish- 

 yellow colour. 



Abdomen oval, tolerably convex above and projecting a 

 good deal over the base of cephalothorax. Colour brownish 

 yellow-white on the upperside, with a broadish submarginal 

 bordering band of red-brown, interrupted at the fore extre- 

 mity and at three other places on each side by transverse 

 brownish-yellow distinct lines ; sides and underpart brownish 

 yellow, the former marked and spotted with reddish brown 

 near the posterior extremity. 



Sternum dark yellow-brown. 



A single example of this very distinct species was received 

 some years ago, among many other spiders, from the late Rev. 

 Hamlet Clark, by whom it was found near Torquay. Owing 

 to its having been accidentally mislaid until very lately, it has 

 hitherto escaped notice. 



Theridiosoma, g. n. 



Cephalothorax short ; thorax round-oval, gradually rising 

 in a curve to the ocular area; caput strongly constricted on 

 the lateral margins, and deeply indented on each side near 

 the thoracic junction. 



