Falconer : The Spiders of Wicken, Cambridge. 323 



Every joint very extensively suffused with black, with 

 yellow-brown oblong and linear patches on the large 

 joints, small round spots on most of the joints and annul- 

 ations of a similar colour at the articulations of the three 

 terminal joints ; the tips of tarsi I, very pale coloured. 

 ABDOMEN, oval, attenuated behind, broadly truncate in 

 front where there are many long black bristly hairs ; very 

 obscure yellow-brown in anterior half, becoming black 

 in posterior half and on central surface ; unevenly covered 

 with yellow-brown spots more irregular in shape and size, 

 arranged on the sides in oblique longitudinal rows, and on 

 the under abdomen in regular curved longitudinal lines, 

 two on each side of the centre ; above in the posterior half 

 these spots form a number of transverse angular bars ex- 

 tending to the spinners, and in the posterior half four 

 others larger than the rest form a quadrilateral. Tegu- 

 ment very strongly ridged, laterally and behind. Spinners, 

 normal in disposition and structure, bia^ k. 

 Epigynal Area, as long as wide, the anterior part with 

 two somewhat large, deep, round foveae, finely bordered, 

 and separated by a narrow, smooth reddish keel ; the 

 posterior portion extending to the epigastric fold, forming 

 a large, smooth, slightly convex yellow-brown space, 

 scarcely, if at all, passing the lateral level of the foveae. 

 Most of the females resembled the male in general character- 

 istics, but a few of them were larger than the rest, very much 

 less suffused with black, and showed no irridescence, which 

 cannot therefore be considered inherent in the species. N. 

 valentuhts in form and structure is very close to N. reticulatus 

 Bl. Apart from colouration and iridescence, the validity of 

 the new species will mainly depend on the importance to be 

 attached to the curious sexual differences. In the male, the 

 palpus is on a larger scale, the tibia more slightly robust and its 

 angular projections stouter ; the palpal organs more voluminous, 

 the palpal spine (figs. 9 and 11a) very long, extending from the 

 base to the apex of the tarsus ; the transverse fold very oblique ; 

 the denticulated process (figs. 9, 10, 11, b.) projecting greatly 

 beyond the tarsal border and very conspicuous from above. 

 In Neon reticulatus Bl. the same parts are present but much 

 reduced in size, somewhat differently shaped, and differently 

 placed. The palpal spine (figs. 13, 15, a) a great deal shorter, 

 curves slighter, originating below the middle of the tarsal bor- 

 der ; the fold of the bulb directly transverse ; the palpal 

 process (figs. 13, 15, b), smaller and slender, situated at the 

 summit of the palpal organs and completely hidden from 

 above. 



In the epigyne of N. reticulatus BL, the foveae are smaller, 

 the posterior space larger, and extending well beyond the 



2912 Oct. I. 



