ÜnovtanT.— On the Spiders of New Zealand, ` 41 
they are furnished only with fine erect hairs. The superior tarsal claws of 
the first pair differ from each other in size, the outer claw being the largest, 
and are provided with two teeth of unequal size pointing obliquely forwards ; 
the inferior claw is as large as the greater of the superior claws, more 
powerful, and furnished with a long pointed tooth. 
The palpi are slender, darker than the legs; the claw is long, fine, 
slightly curved, with two teeth of different size, pointing obliquely forwards. 
The falces are long, vertical, tapering, divergent at the extremities, 
brownish. 
The mazillz are oblong, sides nearly straight, roundly-pointed at the 
extremities, parallel. Labium short and broad; has the dark brown shade 
of the maxille. 
The sternum is somewhat cordate, convex, black. 
The abdomen is large, conical; the dorsal portion is of a dull silver, 
with faint pinkish reflections; from the petiolum a black toothed band 
faintly margined with yellow ascends to the apex, and converges from the 
thoracic junetion to the spinnerets ; the sides and ventral surface are black. 
The spinners are surrounded by a sheath-like band, formed by a deep 
circular groove; the outer margin of this groove, viewed laterally, forms a 
protuberance on which there is a circular fovea; between this depression 
and the vulva, on the side of the abdomen there is a larger one of an oval 
form. The vulva consists of a somewhat square, moderately raised black 
protuberance, to which is attached a broad crimson process, directed back- 
wards. 
The male is rather shorter than the female and resembles her in 
colour and markings ; the cephalothorax is comparatively narrower, and the 
ocular area more prominent; projecting from the clypeus is a long, strong 
dark brown process, its tumid conical point has hairs directed backwards. 
The humeral and radial joints of the palpi are long and resemble the legs 
in colour; the digital joint is unusually developed, convex and moderately 
hairy externally, black ; concave within, brownish ; the palpal organs are 
complex, the most remarkable are two strong processes directed downwards. 
The abdomen is similar in form to that of the female, but it is smaller, 
slopes backwards, exposing the petiolum. These interesting little spiders 
are quasi-parasitie on the webs of the larger Epeirids, they are also to be 
found under the eaves of low buildiugs on the webs of the Theridiida, ete., 
When resting on webs the abdomen is always below, the legs being drawn 
together and extended upwards. The females commence constructing 
their cocoons towards the end of December ; most of the young are hatched 
in March. Occasionally cocoons are fabricated as late as April ; the female 
commences this work by spinning a short strong horizontal line, to which 
