418 REV. O; P. CAMBRIDGE ON NEW BRITISH SPIDERS. 
` tolerable abundance at the base of rough sedgy grass and rushes in a swamp at Blox- 
worth in May 1863, among the stems of which it spins an irregular web. 
THERIDION FAMILIARE, n. sp. (Pl. 55. no. 15.) 
Male adult, length 4; of an inch (of which the ee is about half). Rela- 
tive length of the legs 1, 2, 4,3. 
Cephalothorax broader behind than before; slightly prominent at the eyes; a strong 
longitudinal indentation in the median line of the hinder part, and some small furrows on 
the sides, converging towards the centre. Colour, dull orange-yellow ; just behind the 
eyes is à broad spade-shaped patch of dusky brown, the point directed backwards; the 
lateral furrows and margins are also dusky-coloured. 
Eyes eight, in two rows, curving from each other, the four central ones forming a 
square; the two foremost eyes of the square are very slightly further from each other 
than those of the hinder pair; those of the side pairs are contiguous to each other; all 
are seated on tubereles; those of the fore central pair are black, and the largest of the 
eight; the rest are pearly white, with black edges. 
Legs of the same colour as the cephalothorax, and banded more or less distinctly with 
dusky red-brown in the males; those of the first pair are much the longest and rather 
the stoutest, then the second pair, and the third pair the shortest: they are sparingly 
clothed with hairs and a few slender spines. 
Palpi moderately long and strong, of the same colour as the cephalothorax ; cubital 
and radial joints short, and with several bristly hairs on the upperside directed forwards. 
The radial joint is the shortest, it is considerably produced at its extremity on the outer 
side, and is furnished on the margins with some long, strong, curved bristly hairs ; digital 
joint oval, comprising the palpal organs, which are prominent, not complex, and with 
one or two small corneous reddish processes at their extremity. 
Falces straight, neither very long nor powerful; profile outline hollow. 
Maxille long, strong, obliquely truncated at the extremity on the outer side, strongly 
inclined towards the labium, which is broad at the base and bluntly triangular at the 
apex. These parts, with the falces, are of the same colour as the palpi. 
Sternum broad and convex, of a yellowish colour, suffused with dusky. 
Abdomen short, oval, convex, projecting slightly over the base of the cephalothorax. 
Colour dusky yellowish-drab, more or less spotted with small white blotehes; a broad 
longitudinal band edged more or less broadly and irregularly with black, occupies the 
median line, tapering gradually from the fore part to the spinners ; this band is dentated 
on the sides, slightly at first, but more frequently and strongly towards the hinder part; 
it is generally of a lighter colour, and more suffused with white blotehes than the rest of 
the abdomen; the sides have a broad longitudinal pateh of blackish brown, broadest 
forwards, and from one to three rows of black spots running from the dentations of the 
median band obliquely downwards. The underside is black, and very prominent and 
convex near the spiracular plates. 
The spinners are encircled with blackish. The female is rather larger than the male, 
and her abdomen is more convex and projects more over the base of the ee 
