2q8 



SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



Aranea gibbosa Walck. [Epeira arbuslonim 

 Spiders of Dorset '" ; E. hicoruis Bl. ) 



Length. Male 4 mm., female 5 mm. 



Very similar in form to ~A. angiilata Clk., but 

 much smaller, and the anterior central eyes are equal 

 to the posterior centrals. Fairly common. 



Aranea pyramidata Clk. (Epcira scalaris 

 BL) 



Length. Male S mm., female 14 mm. 



Abdomen yellow, with a l)lackish band in the 

 central part of its posterior half. This band is very 

 distinct, broad at its anterior extremity and narrow- 

 ing somewhat towards the spinners. Not common. 



Aranea marmorea Clk. 



Very closely allied to A. pyni'nidata Clk. De- 

 scribed in " Proc. Dorset Field Club," vol. xx. 



Aranea dioidea Wlk. (Epeira albimaciila Bl. ) 

 Length. Male 3 mm., female 4 mm. 

 Cephalo-thorax yellowish-brown, darker in front. 

 Legs, in the female, somewhat annulated, the femora 

 of the first two pairs being rather the darkest. 

 Abdomen reddish-brown, thickly spotted and speckled 

 with black and white. Metatarsi and tarsi IL longer 

 than metatarsi and tarsi Y\ . A rare species. 



Aranea adianta Wile. {Epeira adiaiita in 

 " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 5 mm., female 6 mm. 



Very similar in structure to A. dioidea Wlk. 



Metatarsi and tarsi IL are equal to metatarsi and 

 tarsi IV. The anterior eyes of the male are closely 

 grouped, separated by distances about equal to their 

 diameters, and almost equidistant. The length of 

 the tibia and patella I. is ecjual to that of metatarsus 

 and tarsus I. 



Rather rare. I have received specimens recently 

 from Mr. Frank R. Hinkins, of Brighton. 



Aranea ceropegia Walck. [Epeira eeropegia 

 in " Spiders of Dorset.'") 



Length. Male 7 mm. 



Very similar to A. adianfa Wlk., but much larger. 

 Extremely rare. 



Aranea oi-nata Bl. 



Described under genus Epeira in "Spiders of 

 Great Britain and Ireland." Type lost. 



Aranea signata Bl. 



A doubtful species described in " Spiders of Great 

 Britain and Ireland." Type lost. 



Aranea iimbratica Clk. [Epeira itnihratieaiw 

 " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 9 mm., female 12 mm. 



The whole spider is of a warm blackish-brown tint, 

 and both cephalo-thorax and abdomen are unusually 

 flattened. It is a common species, and is usually 

 found under loose bark or between boards in palings. 



Aranea sclopetaria Clk. [Epeira sericata 

 BL) 



Length. Male 7 mm., female 10 mm. 



The female may be distinguished from A. timbratica 

 Clk. by its non-flattened form, and the male by the 

 form of a prominent process connected with the 

 palpal organs, which, in this species, is deeply bifid. 

 Not generally common. Very plentiful in a few 

 localities near London. 



Aranea cornnta Clk. [Epeira apoclisa Bl.) 



Length. Male 6 mm., female 8 mm. 



Allied to A. sclopetaria Clk., but, unlike that 

 species, the cephalo-thorax of the male is as long as 

 tibia I. The spines on the legs of the female are all 

 black, this character separating that sex from A. 

 sclopetaria Clk. Not uncommon. Usually found by 

 the side of streams. 



Aranea patagiata Koch. 



Length. Male 6 mm., female 8 mm. 



Very closely allied to A. cornnta Clk., but the 

 prominent process connected with the palpal organs 

 is sliort and strongly curved, whereas in A. cornitta 

 it is straight and narrower. This process is strongly 

 bifid in both species. Rare and local. I have taken 

 it on the walls of the East London Waterworks at 

 Hackney Marshes. 



Aranea quadrata Clk. [Epeira quadrata in 

 " Spiders of Dorset."') 



Length. Male 6 mm., female 15 mm. 



The abdomen of the female sex of this handsome 

 spider is almost globular, and is usually of a reddish 

 or yellowish tint often clouded with green. Towards 

 its fore extremity are four conspicuous yellowish- 

 white patches closely grouped. A fairly common, 

 species. 



Aranea diademata Clk. [Epeira diadema Bl.)- 

 Length. Male 6 mm., female 12 mm. 

 This species, commonly known as the ' ' garden 

 spider," must be familiar to everyone. The sub- 

 angular form of the abdomen will distinguish it readily 

 from its ally A. quadrata Clk. It varies greatly in 

 colour, from pale sandy 3-ellow to almost black. 

 Extremely abundant. 



Aranea alsine Wlk. [Epeira lutea Bl.) 



Length. Female .6 mm. 



Abdomen pale yellow, with reddish reticulations. 

 A sinuous band occupies the central part of the 

 upper side. Allied to A. diademata Clk. Very 

 rare. 



Aranea ciieurbitina Clk. [Epeira cucnrbitina 

 in " Spiders of Dorset.'") 



Length. Male 5 mm., female 6 mm. 



Cephalo-thorax reddish-brown with, in the male, 

 a lateral black band. Abdomen bright green with. 

 a red spot at its hinder extremity. Common. 



