72 ARACHNOIDEA. 



CASE the thorax \ abdomen, bright scarlet above, with six black spots 

 on the scarlet abdomen, each of which is surrounded by a ring of 

 white hairs : below, all black except a white jja-tch near the 

 posterior extremity. 



Nos. DiCTYNA ARUNDINACEA (Ergatis benigna, BL). — 16. Enlarged sketch; 17. 

 ■* ' ^'^' Do. , sketch of cocoons of do. 



This is a dark-coloured spider, with a sort of herring-bone 

 pattern on the back of the abdomen. It spins an irregular web 

 at the ends of the twigs of heath and gorse, and the female con- 

 structs two or three lenticular white cocoons of a compact texture, 

 which she attaches to the stems surrounded by her web, envelop- 

 ing them with the refuse of her prey. 



Family AGELENID.E. 

 Mr. Cambridge proposes some alterations on this family. He 

 removes the water-spider (Argyroneta aquatica) from the Drassidae 

 and places it here. Its aquatic habits had already suggested to 

 other authors to place it by itself — ^but there are species in other 

 families which take to the water in the same way as it does. He 

 includes with it the most of the Ciniflonid^ of Blackwall and his 

 Agelenidae or house spiders (Tegenaria). They all spin webs, and 

 lie in ambush for their prey; but the fabric of the web is not the 

 same in all. In the Ciniflonidae it is peculiar, and they have a 

 special apparatus on the hind leg called a calamistrum, which is 

 used in the manufacture. On that account we hesitate as to the 

 propriety of absorbing the Ciniflonidas j but on the other hand it 

 is to be acknowledged that the whole of the spiders composing 

 the group as adjusted by Mr. Cambridge have all the same 

 general t)^e and facies. 



No i8. Argyroneta aquatica {Linn.). — 18. Enlarged sketch. 



About half an inch in length ; thorax, dark reddish brown ; 

 abdomen, olive brown. 



