SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



109 



GENUS EUPOLIS CB. 



Anterior row of eyes recurved ; posterior row pro- 

 ■curved. Area of central eyes somewhat longer than 



wide ; anterior side a little shorter than the posterior. 



Maxillae short, nearly straight and parallel, broadest 

 -at their extremities. Cephalo-thorax strongly ex- 

 -cavated at its hinder part. 



Eupolis excavatus Cb. 



Length. Female 2 mm. , male unknown. 



Cephalo-thorax pale brownish-yellow with a dark 

 marginal line and some converging markings. Legs 

 and palpi pale yellow. Abdomen yellowish-brown, 

 projecting greatly over the cephalo-thorax. A single 

 specimen has been taken in Dorset. 



We now come to a series of genera which form 

 a fairly compact group, corresponding to Mons. 

 E. Simon's Linyphini as diagnosed in " Les Arach- 

 'nides de France." It is impossible, however, to 

 separate them as a sub-family on account of the 

 imany intermediate forms which might reasonably be 

 assigned to either group. 



The following characters will assist in separating 

 the group : — Margin of labium recurved — i.e. with 

 its edge turned back upon itself. Tibia IV. (and 

 often Tibiae I., II., and III.) with two spines. 

 Palpus of female often furnished with a claw. Radial 

 joint almost always without an apophysis. Cephalo- 

 thorax almost always alike in both sexes. Meta- 

 itarsal and femoral spines often present. 



(^ENUS HILAIRA SIM. 



Metatarsu.^ I. shorter than tibia I. Eyes small 

 and widely separated. Legs short and robust. 

 Posterior extremity of sternum truncate. Tibial 

 spines very slender. 



Hilaira exeisa Cb. {Neriene excisa in ' ' Spiders 

 ■of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2.5 mm. 



Cephalo-thorax dark brown with minute punctures. 

 'Caput somewhat raised behind the eyes. Legs pale 

 yellow. Abdomen sooty black. Radial joint of 

 palpus with a long tapering apophysis. 



Hilaira uncata Cb. {Neriene iincata in 

 "Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 3.2 mm., female 3.5 mm. 



Cephalo-thorax dark red-brown. Caput somewhat 

 protuberant behind the eyes in the male, slightly so 

 in the female. Radial joint large, produced above 

 somewhat in the form of a parrot's beak. 



GENUS PORRHOMMA SIM. 

 Closely allied to Hilaira, but differs in the follow- 

 ing points .-—Legs slender. Posterior extremity of 

 sternum conically pointed. Tibial spines fairly 

 strong. 



Porrhomma pygmaeum Bl. [Neriene pyg- 

 maea in " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2 mm., female 2.5 mm. 



Cephalo-thorax reddish -brown. Legs dull orange- 

 red. Abdomen black, sometimes with a strong 

 greenish tinge. Not common. 



Porrhomma errans Bl. {Neriene errans in 

 " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2 mm., female 3 mm. 



Similar in appearance to P. pygmaeum Bl., but 

 usually paler, and the metatarsus of each leg has a 



a. Bathyphantes variegatus. Falciform process, b. Ditto. 

 Vulva. c. B. gracilis. Palpus of male. d. B. concolor. 

 Falciform process, e. Ditto. Vulva, f. B. nigrinus. Vulva. 

 g. Lepthyphantes blackwallii. Vulva, profile, h. L. nebu- 

 losus. Falciform process, z. Ditto. Lateral stylum. j. Ditto. 

 Vulva in profile, k. Ditto. Vulva. /. L. tenuis-. Palpus of 

 male — i. Lateral stylum ; 2. Falciform process, m. L. lepra- 

 sus. Falciform process, w. Ditto. Lateral stylum. o. Ditto. 

 Vulva. /. Ditto. Vulva in profile; f. L. minutus. Vulva, 

 r. Ditto. Vulva in profile, s. Ditto. Lateral stylum and falci- 

 form process, t. Lepthyphantes . Falx, side view. u. Liny- 

 phia triangularis. Profile of female. 



spine upon its upper side which is not found in that 

 species. Not very common. 



Porr]iom.m.a inerrans Cb. 



This rare species may be distinguished by means of 

 the falciform process, which is figured. The "falci- 

 form process " is a portion of the male palpus, and is 

 found well developed in this genus and in several 

 allied groups. In order to show the position of this 

 portion of structure and also of another process known 

 as the "lateral stylum," a drawing of the palpus of 

 Lepthyphantes temiis is given with these parts 

 indicated. 



