194 Rev. O. P. Cambridge on some 



Eyes of tolerable size, subequal and closely grouped, in 

 two rows, the posterior row much the most strongly curved ; 

 those of the fore-central pair placed on a tubercular promi- 

 nence. Four central eyes form a trapezoid whose anterior side 

 is shortest. 



Legs short, moderately strong; relative length 1, 2, 4, 3, 

 or 1, 4, 2, 3, furnished with coarse hairs and a few strong 

 bristles only. 



Maxillae short, strong, and straight, convex in front, broad 

 at their extremities, where the outer side is well rounded, and 

 the inner side rather less so. 



Labium short and somewhat semicircular. 

 Abdomen large and globular. 



This is a genus of very great interest, and appears to be a 

 connecting link between Theridion and Epeira. Dr. L. Koch 

 includes a very closely allied species, found near Nuremberg, 

 in the genus Theridion ( T. gemmosum) ; but the form of the 

 maxilla? and the stronger legs seem to exclude it entirely from 

 that group, and to necessitate a new genus for its reception. 

 Dr. Koch describes the snare as consisting simply of a few lines 

 spun from plant to plant. This habit, together with some 

 structural considerations, exclude it from the Epeirides, which, 

 however, it resembles in the form of the maxilla?. The egg- 

 cocoon is described as pear-shaped ; it is suspended by a 

 slender footstalk, and is apparently very like that of Ero 

 thoracica. 



Theridiosoma argentcolum, sp. n. (PL XII. fig. 8.) 



Adult female, length very slightly over 1 line. 



The colour of the cephalothorax is yellow, the caput suffused 

 with sooty black, especially on the sides near the occiput ; 

 a few hairs are directed forwards from the ocular area, with 

 some others disposed in a central longitudinal line running 

 backwards. 



The eyes occupy the whole width of the caput at its rather 

 produced extremity ; those of the hind-central pair are of a 

 bluish-grey hue, and are nearer together than each is to the 

 hind-lateral eye on its side; the interval being about half 

 an eye's diameter. Those of each lateral pair are placed 

 slightly obliquely on a tubercle, the hinder one being the 

 smallest and of a pearly- white hue ; the fore-laterals are pale 

 greyish ; the fore-centrals are seated on a rather strong tuber- 

 cular prominence, and are dark-coloured and not easily seen ; 

 the hinder row is much more strongly curved than the ante- 

 rior one ; the eyes of the latter are near together,"but not con- 

 tiguous, the interval between the fore-centrals being very 



