SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



107 



sidae were not plentiful, the species taken being 

 Prostliesima pedestris Koch. Drassus sylvestris Bl., 

 and D. lapidicolens Wlk. The family Theridiidae 



was well represented, and many more species 

 would no doubt have been found bad time per- 

 mitted. The genus Theridion was no1 much in 

 evidence, although a fair number of immature 

 specimens were taken, including T. sisyphiiim Clk. 

 and T. Mmaculatum Linn. A single male of thai 

 curious spider Pholcomma gibbum Westr. was found 

 on the railway bank near St. Leonards. Of the 

 group Asageneae, characterised by the posses- 

 sion of a stridulating apparatus, two species 

 were taken ; namely. Crust ulina guttata Wid. 

 and Pedanostetlnis liridus El. The important 

 group Erigoneae, which includes Blackwall's 

 genus II 'alckcna'&ra and a large part of his genus 

 Neriene, was well represented by the following- 

 species : — Lophocarenum parallelum BL, Tiso vagans 

 BL, Diplocephalus cristatus BL, B. fuscipcs BL, 

 Walckenaera acuminata BL, Wideria antioa Wid., 

 Comic ularia unicornis Cb. (uncommon), Neriene 

 rnbens BL, Bicgplius bitubercvlatus BL, Gongy- 

 lidiuni dentatum Wid., G agreste BL, G. fuscuvi 

 BL, and Erigone dentipalpis Wid. The Linyphieae 

 were also well represented, including the follow- 

 ing: — Porrhomma inerrans Cb. (a rare and local 

 species), Tmeticus concolor Wid., T rufus Wid., 

 BathypJiqntes variegatus BL, B, dorsalis Wid., B. 

 concolor Wid., Ltptypliantes tenuis BL, L. ericaea 

 BL, Labulla thoracica Wid., and Linypliia clatli- 

 rata SuncL Two species belonging to the family 

 Tetragnathidae occurred, and both in great abun- 

 dance; namely, Pachygnatha degeerii SuncL and 

 Tetragnatha solandrii Scop., the former amongst 

 grass and low herbage, and the latter on bushes in 

 Eairlight Glen. Although so early in the season, 

 a good number of the Epeiridae had put in an 

 appearance, including Meta segmentata Clk., 31. 

 merianae Scop., Cercidia prominens Westr. (a rare 

 species), Zilla atrica Koch, Z. x-notata Clk. (com- 

 mon on stone walls), Epeira eveurbitina Clk., 

 E. umbratica Bl. and E diademata Clk. (just 

 hatched). The family Thomisidae was well re- 

 presented. Xysticus cristatus Clk. was common 

 everywhere, and single specimens of A", pini 

 Hahn. and Oxyptila simplex Cb., the latter a 

 rare and local species, were found in the wood 

 around Hollington Old Church. A specimen 

 of O.praticola Koch was also taken. Philodromus 

 dispar AVlk. was plentiful; the specimens* how- 

 ever, were all young. As might be expected, the 

 Clubionidae were well represented, especially the 

 genus Clubiona, of which six species were taken ; 

 namely, C. reclusa Cb., C. compta Koch, C. palli- 

 dula Clk., C. holoserivea Degeer, C. terrcstris 

 Westr., and C. grisea L. Koch. Clnracantlnum was 

 represented by a few immature specimens in bad 

 condition whose identity was uncertain. Any- 

 pliaena accent uata occurred at Fairlight Glen. 

 Another very interesting species, of which I took 



but one specimen, is Agroeca brimnea HI. Its 



presence in the districl was first intimated to me 

 by .Mr. Connold, who gave me specimens of its 

 nest. This is a mosl curious structure, being made 



in the form of a goblet and coated with yellow 

 mud. This earthj covering i> impervious to 

 moisture, and is a great protection against ichneu- 

 mons, besides making the nest more difficult to 



det eel. Miraria ji 11 li ra rhi Sund .. whieli closely re- 

 sembles the ants among which it lives, occurred in 

 several localities, most abundantly among the 

 coarse grass on the beach at the eastern extremity 

 of Bexhill. Mieariosoma festivum Koch and Zora 

 spinimana Sund. wen; also found, but not plenti- 

 fully. The family Agolcnidao was represented by 

 Coelotes atrqposWik.,Agelena laiyrv/tthiea Clk., Te- 

 genaria atrica Koch, T. domestica Clk., T. campestris 

 Koch, Textrixlgcosina BL. and llaluihi intra 151., this 

 last species belonging to a genus of great interest 

 on account of the extraordinary arrangement of 

 the spinners. The Lycosidae were abundant, 

 including Pisaura viirabilis Clk., Pirata piratiea 

 Clk., Pardosa. palustris Linn., P. am fata fa Clk.. 

 P. proxima Koch (not certain), P. jy«?Zate Clk.. 

 P. annulata Thor., Lycosa ruricola Degeer, and 

 Lycosa andrenirora Wlk. Although many of the 

 females were adult, none of them were carrying 

 the characteristic egg-sacs, which was hardly tobe 

 expected so early in the season. Two species of 

 Attidae (Salticidae) finish the list ; namely. Epi- 

 blemum scenicum Clk. and Hcliophanus ev/preui 

 Wlk. 



It will be seen from the above list, which contains 

 over eighty species, how much there is to be done 

 with regard to the spider fauna of this district. I 

 feel sure that could I have stayed a few weeks 

 longer, until the multitudes of Linyphias, Theri- 

 dions, and Epeiras had developed sufficient charac- 

 teristics to admit of their satisfactory identification. 

 I should have been able to make a considerable 

 addition to the above. This is supported by the 

 fact that from a list of thirty-five species taken by 

 several members of the Hasting Natural History 

 Society, fourteen species do not occur on my present 

 list. 



15 Cloudesley Place, Islington. X. 



Si a William Stokes. — The announcement that 

 Sir William Stokes had died suddenly on 

 August 18th at Pietermaritzburg was quite un- 

 expected. His visit to Africa was on behalf of the 

 Government, in connection with the hospital 

 administration of the Army. He was born in 

 Dublin on March 10th, 1839, and was the second 

 son of the eminent Dr. William Stokes of that 

 city, whose life he wrote, a work which was 

 'reviewed in the.se columns a short time since. His 

 first important appointment was that of senior 

 surgeon to Richmond Surgical Hospital. In 1881 

 he was elected President of the Pathological 

 Society, of which he was a gold medallist, and six 

 years later was placed in the chair of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons. Ireland. 



El 



