SCIENCE- G OSSIF. 



lie. 



Notes f 



EXTEACTION OF lODINE FROM SEAWEED.— A 

 newproces.s has recently been patented in England 

 by J. Thesen, of Christiania. The dried seaweed 

 is' treated with 5 per cent, to 20 per cent, of sul- 

 phuric acid, which dissolves the whole of the iodine 

 present. An oxidising agent is next added, and 

 the iodine extracted from the liquid by means of a 

 mineral oil, such as petToleum spirit. The residual 

 seaweed can be dried and used for manure. — C. A. 

 Mitchell, London, W.C. 



Atypus affinis.— The so-called "trap-door 

 spider " being a creature often mentioned but 

 seldom seen, a note as to its occurrence in a new 

 locality may be of interest. On June 2nd I had 

 the pleasure of discovering its haunts in a spot 

 about two miles from Croydon. The specimen 

 taken, a young female, had, as is usual in this 

 species, constructed its tube in a sandy bank, which 

 had a south-eastern a.spect, the tube entering the 

 ground at right angles to the surface. The site 

 was overshadowed by a mass of heather, as is 

 apparently often the case. The single specimen 

 taken was discovered after twenty minutes' " grub- 

 bing," and others could no doubt have been found, 

 judging from the fact that an empty tube was dug 

 up accidentally by some friends who were in search 

 of lepidopterous pupae. The dimensions of the 

 tube were: length 150 mm., length of exposed 

 portion 18 mm, average diameter, 6 mm.— John 

 E. S. Dallas, 19 Ulverscroft Road, East Bulmich. 



[We understand from- Mr. Percy Smith that he 

 has found Aiypus affinis in large numbers in Surrey. 

 When its habits aie better understood there is no 

 doubt that the range of known distribution will be 

 largely increased. There are large tracts of country 

 throughout the South of England where this inter- 

 esting spider maybe expected to occur. — Ed. S.-G.] 



Synageles VENATOR IN BRITAIN. — The spider 

 inadvertently recorded last month, ante p. 82, as 

 Toxeus forndearins should have been named 

 Synageles venator Luc. This species is not de- 

 scribed either in Blackwall's "Spiders of Great 

 Britain and Ireland" or in "Spiders of Dorset," 

 and I therefore insert this note in the hope that 

 it may be useful to workers of the Araneidea. I 

 have to thank the Rev. H. P. B. Chubb for kindly 

 sending me both sexes of this most interesting 

 creature. The genus to which this species belongs 

 is one of the family Salticidae, and its character- 

 istics are : Cephalo-thorax flat, elongate, sides 

 almost parallel, truncated posteriorly. Cephalic 

 and thoracic portions separated by a transverse 

 indentation. Third row of eyes (2) a little beyond 

 the middle of the cephalo-thorax. Ocular "area 

 much longer than wide. Eyes of first row very 

 unequal, nearly touching, each encircled by a 

 narrow row of hairs. Clypeus very narrow. Falces 

 in both sexes short and vertical. Labium almost 

 semicircular, as broad as long. Maxillae short, 

 very wide, squarely truncated. Palpus of male 



small ; tibial, or- radial, joint very_ short, with an- 

 apophysis ; tarsal, or digital, joint obtusely oval. 

 Palpal organs extremely simple, at least two- 

 thirds the- length of the tarsus. Palpus of female 

 slender, tarsus somewhat enlarged. Sternum oval, 

 attenuated anteriorly and posteriorly, wider in 

 the middle than the intermediate coxae. Legs 4, 

 1, 3, 2; 1, 2 and 3 being almost equal. Legs 1 and 

 2 armed with strong spines, 3 and 4 almost un- 

 armed. Male with spines beneath metatarsus 1 

 and 2. Female with spines beneath tibia and 

 metatarsus 1 and 2. This genus contains several 

 small ant-like spiders, of which one sjjecies has- 

 been taken, but very rarely, in Britain. The 

 description of Synageles venator Luc. is : — Male. 

 Length 4 mm. Cephalo-thorax almost black, the 

 transverse depression being furnished with white 

 hairs. Palpi yellowish-red. Patella, cubital joint, 

 longer than wide. Tibia much shorter and slightly 

 narrower, with a small apophysis directed obliquely 

 forward. Tarsus oval and rounded at the base, 

 with a fine terminal spine. Palpal organs consist- 

 ing of a bulb which is slightly attenuated towards 



Synageles venator Luc. Male, tnlarged. 



more enlarged. c.:^'::'. 



its fore part, and terminating with a small oblique- 

 black spine. Legs yellowish-red, femora the darkest. 

 Femur 1 greatly enlarged. Tibia and patella 

 very strong, cylindrical, of a darker tint than the 

 other joints. Abdomen red, brown in front, darker 

 behind, the colours separated by a pale transverse 

 line furnished with white hairs, widening towards 

 its posterior part, terminating somewhat acutely 

 at the spinners. Female. Length 4 mm. Cephalo- 

 thorax nearly black, the cephalic portion being the 

 darkest. First legs not nearly so much enlarged 

 as in the male, of a paler tint. Sternum black. 

 Abdomen as in male. This species is extreinely 

 rare. The accompanying drawing is from one of 

 the British specimens, now before me. — Fra/rik- 

 Percy Smith, 15 Cloudesley Place, London," N.. 

 Augnst ld,th, 1901. 



