SCIENCE- G OSSIP. 



267 



Tigellinus furcillatus Menge. ( Wahkenaera 

 furcillata in " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2.5 mm., female 2.5 mm. 



The cephalic region of the male is of a most extra- 

 ordinary form. A long process springs from its 

 hinder portion, and, bending forwards so as to be 

 almost parallel with the surface of the cephalo-thorax, 

 terminates a short distance from the foremost part of 

 the caput. The posterior central eyes are placed 

 some distance back upon this process. 



Tigellinus saxicola Bl. ( Wahkenaera saxicola 

 in "Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2.5 mm., female 2.7 mm. 



In this species the caput is not elevated. The 

 tibiae of the first two pairs of legs are darker than the 

 rest of the joints. 



GENUS CORNICULARIA MENGE. 



The spiders included in this genus | are very similar 

 to those in the genus Tigellinus ; but the tibial 

 spines are very small and weak, and the tarsi, com- 

 pared with the metatarsi, are much longer than in 

 that genus. 



Cornicularia cuspidata Bl. {Wahkenaera 

 enspidata in " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2.2 mm., female 2.5 mm. 



In the male of this species a small tooth or 

 "cusp" springs from the centre of the ocular area. 



Cornicularia unicornis Cb. {Wahkenaera 

 unicornis in " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2.2 mm., female 2.5 mm. 



This may be distinguished from C. cuspidata by 

 the form of the cephalic process, which, instead of 

 being a simple cusp, is bifurcate. Its true form is 

 best seen when viewed from in front. 



Cornicularia vigilax Bl. {Neriene vigilax in 

 "Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland.") 



Length. Male 2.2 mm., female 2.5 mm. 



This species may be distinguished from C. cuspidata 

 Bl. by the absence of the cusp. 



Cornicularia clara Cb. This species, described 

 by the Rev. O. I'. Cambridge as 2Ver,'ine clara, 

 seems referable to this genus. 



GENUS BARYPHYMA SIM. 



The spiders in this genus have the anterior row of 

 eyes straight, the posterior row being very slightly 

 curved. The spines on the tibiae of the fourth pair 

 of legs are very small. 



Baryphyma pratensis Bl. 



Length. Male 2.5 mm., female 3 mm. 



The caput of the male is slightly elevated and is 

 somewhat massive, with an indentation extending 

 backwards from each pair of lateral eyes. 



GENUS PANAMOMOPS SIM. 



This genus may be easily distinguished from Bary- 

 phyma by the posterior row of eyes being rather 

 strongly curved, the anterior side of the medians and 

 the posterior side of the laterals being in a straight 

 line. The distance between these medians is con- 

 siderably less than that between one of them and the 

 adjacent lateral. The spines upon the tibiae of the 

 fourth pair of legs are fairly strong and of considerable 

 length. 



Panamomops bicuspis Cb. 



This minute spider may be at once recognised by 

 the presence of two small cusps, one on each side of 

 the ocular area. 



( To be continued. ) 



CHAPTERS FOE YOUNG NATURALISTS. 



1 Continued from page 199.) 



THE LAWS OF HEREDITY. 



By Henry E. M. Morton. 



r I 1 HE most casual observer of natural phenomena 

 -*- must have frequently been struck with the 

 persistency of various types and impressions which 

 are met with in different families. If he has ever 

 wandered through an ancestral hall and gazed upon 

 the portraits that are hanging upon the walls of 

 the picture gallery, he could not have failed to 

 recognise that the same traits are indelibly im- 

 pressed upon the physiognomy of the individuals 

 of the family, with a persistency which is very 

 forcible. In the limited circle of one's own 

 acquaintance a superficial observation will suffice 

 to demonstrate how the peculiarities of habits pass 



from parent to child. The same gestures may be 

 noticed in conversation ; the inflections of the voice 

 are so alike as to be confusing ; and the mother 

 and daughter, whilst engaged in singing or conversa- 

 tion, have frequently been confounded with each 

 other, even by members of their own family, in conse- 

 quence of the difference of the timbre of the voice 

 not being easily discernible. Between father and son 

 the resemblance is often very marked. There is the 

 same gait, the same sharp swing of the arm, and 

 the son appears to be an exact repetition of the 

 father. I knew a case where a father, watching 

 his son, a boy of about ten years of age, engaged 



K 4 



