SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



173 



AN INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH SPIDERS. 



By Frank Percy Smith. 



{Continued /7-0III />ag;c 139.) 



GENUS MICR0N£7'A MENGE. 



This genus may be distinguished from Tineticus 

 by the legs being more slender and the eyes more 

 closely grouped. The lateral eyes are placed upon 

 distinct oblique prominences ; the falces of the male 

 are attenuated and divergent towards their extremity. 



Mieroneta sublimis Cb. (Nericne sitblimis 

 in " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2 mm,, female 2 mm. 



CephaIo-thora.\- pale brown, with darker margins 

 and some dark converging lines. Legs pale orange, 

 the femoral joints being the most richly coloured. 

 Abdomen glossy, black, with fine hairs. The eyes 

 of the posterior row are equidistant, one diameter 

 apart. The clypeus is slightly lower than the ocular 

 area. A rare spider found in mountainous districts. 



Mieroneta rxirestris C. L. Koch. {Ncriem 

 fiiscipalpism "Spiders of Dorset"; N. gracilis + 

 N. favipes Bl.) 



Length. Male 2 mm., female 2.2 mm. 



Cephalo-thorax nearly black. Legs dark reddish 

 yellow. Abdomen almost black. This species may be 

 distinguished from M, stibliinis Cb. by its coloration 

 and by the digital joint of the male palpus being 

 conically prominent near its base. It is rather 

 common. 



Mieroneta conigera Cb. [Neriene toiiig-cra 

 in " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 1.7 mm., female larger. 



Cephalo-thorax yellowish-brown, marked and veined 

 with black. Legs yellow. Abdomen glossy black 

 with a few hairs. Digital joint of male palpus with 

 a very pronounced conical prominence at its base. 

 This species may be distinguished from both ^/. sub- 

 limis Cb. and J/, ntirstris Koch by the clypeus 

 being wider than the ocular area. Rare, but widely 

 distributed. 



Mieroneta subtilis Cb. {Neriene siibtilis in 

 " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2 mm. 



Cephalo-thorax warm yellowish-brown. Legs 

 reddish-brown, paler at the articulations of the joints. 

 Clypeus wider than ocular area. Distance between 

 central eyes of hind row less than that between one 

 of them and the adjacent lateral. Rare. 



Mieroneta innotabilis Cb. [Neriene innota- 

 bilis in " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2 mm. 



May be distinguished from .)/. subtilis Cb. , J/, sub- 

 liiiiis Cb., and -J/, rurcstris Koch, by the distance be- 

 tween the central eyes of the hind row being greater 

 than that between one of them and the adjacent lateral. 

 The clypeus is not wider than Ihe ocular area. Rare. 



Mieroneta mollis Cb. (Neriene mollis in 

 " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 1.5 mm. 



Eyes of lioth rows equidistant. Extremely rare, 

 apparently only a single specimen having been taken. 



Mieroneta mystica Cb. (Neriene niystica in 

 " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Female 2 mm. 



Cephalo-thorax yellowish-brown, tinted with green. 

 The whole upper surface when viewed in profile is 

 very irregular, and the clypeus projects considerably. 

 The epigynum is very prominent. Extremely rare. 



Mieroneta jugvilans Cb. (Neriene ju»ulans 

 in " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. I-'emale 2 mm. 



Cephalo-thorax yellowy with a blackish marginal 

 line. Legs of a darker hue. In front of the genital 

 aperture is a large roundish convexity. .\n obscure 

 and extremely rare species. 



Mieroneta nsfaria Qh. (Neriene nefaria in 

 " Spiders of Dorset.") 



Length. Male 2 mm. 



Cephalo-thorax greenish yellow-brown, with a black 

 marginal line. Clypeus wider than ocular area. 

 Legs yellow, .\bdomen black. -\ ver)- distinct 

 spiracular opening in front of the spinners. Extremely 

 rare. 



Mieroneta decora Cb. (Neriene decora in 

 " Spiders ot Dorset" ; Mieroneta clypealaY. O.V.C.) 

 Clypeus more than twice as broad as ocular area. 

 -Vn extremely rare species. The width, or breadth, 

 of the clypeus and ocular area must be taken to indi- 

 cate the measurement made at their central part in 

 the direction of the main axis of the spider. The 

 same measurement is often referred to as the height 

 of the clypeus. 



Mieroneta viaria Bl. (Neriene viaria in 



•' Spiders of Dorset."') 



Length, ilale 2.5 mm. 



Easily distinguished by the possession of a tuft of 

 coarse hairs upon the fore extremity of the cubital 

 joint. Uncommon. 



