420 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON NEW BRITISH SPIDERS. 
Abdomen oval, very convex above, and projecting a little over the base of the cephalo- 
thorax; it is very sparingly furnished with hairs; its upperside is nearly black, and 
separated from the sides by a pale band more or less suffused with white cretaceous 
spots; this pale band surrounds about two thirds of the upperside forward, and then 
continues backward as a single median dentated band to the spinners, just above Which 
is a conspicuous white spot; there are also two other large whitish spots at the fore 
extremity, one on either side near together; the sides are pale, with a short lateral black 
band forward; the underside is strongly suffused with dull black. Spinners pale dull 
yellow; a leading character in the abdomen is the upper surface being covered pretty 
thickly with very small shining yellow-brown tubercles. 
An adult male of this species was received from Mr. William Farren (who captured it 
in Wicken Fen, near Cambridge, in February 1869. It is allied to Theridion inornatum 
in general structure, but differs in size, colour, and markings. The tubercles on the ab- 
domen, as well as the great size of the palpal bulb and the structure of the palpal organs, 
will serve to distinguish the present from all others known to me. In naming it after 
Mr. Blackwall, I wish to offer a small tribute of respect to one who has ever with the 
readiest kindness placed all his extensive knowledge on arachnology, as well as his col- 
lections, at my service. 
THERIDION STICTUM. (Pl. 55. no. 17.) 
Theridion stictum, Camb. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 3rd ser. vol. vii. p. 432; e.” Brit. € Ir. Spiders, 
part ii. p. 196, pl. xiv. fig. 126 (female). 
Male adult, length 14 line. 
Cephalothorax short, oval, rather longer than broad, tolerably convex above; ocular 
region of the caput elevated and prominent; clypeus of considerable height, margin 
prominent and rounded; an indentation near the commencement of the hind slope at the 
upper junction of the caput and thoracic segments; the whole surface of the cephalo- 
thorax finely rugulose and covered pretty thickly with depressed punctuations, from each 
of which issues a very short strong black spine or pointed granulation. These are dis- 
posed in lines, which form a regular pattern, defining the form of the caput and the course 
of the thoracic segments, and mostly converge to the median indentation ; a very few 
short dark hairs are disposed on the surface of the cephalothorax. Colour rich mahogany- 
red; caput rather the darkest. 
Eyes eight, in two transverse rows on the summit and sides of the prominence of the 
caput; they are large and subequal ; those of the side pairs are the smallest and the central 
anteriors slightly the largest of the eight; the first row is rather the shortest, and curved ; 
the hinder row is straight. The four central eyes form nearly a square, of which the 
fore side is slightly longer than the hinder side, amd the sides are rather the shortest. 
Each eye is placed on a tubercle; those of the lateral pairs are contiguous to each other, 
and obliquely seated on a strong tubercle. The four eyes of the hinder row are equi- 
distant from each other, as also are those of the front row. 
Legs moderately long and strong; relative length 1, 4, 2 (?),3, the second and fourth 
pairs differ very N in ee their colour is bright orange-yellow tinged with red, — 
