696 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON NEW [Nov. 18, 



Linyphia melanopygia, sp. n. (Plate LIII. fig. 13.) 



Adult male, length 1^ line. 



The cephalothorax is of a yellow-brown colour, rather the darkest 

 on the caput, the lateral marginal constrictions of which are slight. 

 The profile line forms a slight but even curve from the eyes back- 

 wards. The clypeus rather exceeds in height half that of the facial 

 space, and there are a few short bristly hairs on theuppersideof the 

 fore part of the caput, towards and in the ocular area. 



The eyes are of tolerable and nearly equal size, and (excepting 

 the fore-centrals) of a pearl-grey hue ; those of the posterior row are 

 separated by very nearly equal intervals of less than a diameter of 

 one of the hind-central pair, each of which last is separated by a 

 diameter's distance from the fore-central opposite to it; those of 

 each lateral pair are placed obliquely on a strongish tubercle. The 

 fore-centrals are the smallest, and each of them is separated from the 

 fore-lateral eye next to it by rather less than a diameter's interval. 



The legs are moderately long and not very slender (1, 4, 2, 3 or 

 1, 2, 4, 3) ; some of the joints being lost, made it difficult to decide 

 their relative length with accuracy. They are furnished with hairs 

 and a few fine spines (none of the last being on the metatarsi) ; their 

 colour is a uniform bright and rather orange-yellow. 



The palpi are moderately long, similar in colour to the legs, ex- 

 cepting the digital joint, which is yellow-brown. The radial joint is 

 somewhat shorter but stronger than the cubital ; it is rather produced 

 on its outer side a little in front, terminating in a bifid form, not 

 very easy to make out clearly, excepting from certain points of view ; 

 but the upper portion of this part is tipped with blackish, and is 

 the most prominent of the two. The digital joint is rather small, 

 with a lobe on the outer side. The palpal organs are complex, with, 

 among others, a long, strongish, curved, black-tipped, obtusely pointed 

 spine-like process on their inner side, directed forwards and rather 

 outwards. 



The falces are similar in colour to the cephalothorax, strong, con- 

 siderably prominent at their base in front, divergent, rather attenuated 

 at their extremities, towards which is a strong sharp tooth on the 

 inner side in front, with two or three much smaller, sharp denticu- 

 lations behind it. 



The maxilla are strong, inclined to the labium, gibbous in front, 

 and have one or two angular points or prominences, each sur- 

 mounted by a bristle, on the gibbous portion. These angular pro- 

 minences are peculiar and characteristic, but it is very probable that 

 they are only sexual characters. 



The maxillae and labium are rather lighter-coloured than the falces, 

 the sternum being of a similar hue to that of the cephalothorax, 

 glossy, and furnished with a few strongish prominent bristles. 



The abdomen is of a pale bright red colour, obscurely streaked 

 (when in spirit of wi'ie) with yellowish, and clothed thinly with coarse 

 dark hairs, the posterior extremity, in the form of a strong ring 

 round the spinners, being jet-black ; the spinners are pale yellowish 

 brown. 



