A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 
204. Theridion denticulatum (Walckenaer). 
Eden Valley and Lake district. 
Abundant on stone walls near Lodore, 
Derwentwater, in July. 
205. Theridion vittatum, C. L. Koch. 
Eden Valley district. 
Rose Castle, Dalston, on railings in June. 
Known also as I. pulchellum. 
206. Theridion pallens, Blackwall. 
Eden Valley district. 
Common on the foliage of trees at Weth- 
eral and near Carlisle in May and June. The 
curious little white egg-cocoon, like an in- 
verted peg-top with four small lateral promin- 
ences, is fastened by the broad end to the 
surface of the leaves and not balanced on or 
hanging by the point as usually represented. 
207. Theridion ovatum (Clerck). 
Eden Valley and Lake district. 
Plentiful on bramble bushes, where the 
female constructs her sea-green egg-sac within 
a folded leaf in June and July. Known also 
as Phyllonethis lineata. 
208. Theridion lepidum (Walckenaer). 
Lake district. 
A few examples only under a stone on the 
Tilberthwaite Fells, Coniston, in July. 
Known also as Phyllonethis instabilis. 
209. Pedanostethus hvidus (Blackwall). 
Eden Valley and Lake districts. 
Abundant under stones throughout the | 
summer. Known also under Neriene. 
210. Enoplognatha thoracica (Hahn). 
Eskdale (A. R. J.). 
Females only taken under stones on the 
fells and on bushes in the valleys. 
211. Phokomma gibbum (Westring). 
Solway Moss. 
Not common ; amongst dry grass. Known 
also under Theridion. 
ULOBORIDA 
The species of this family are remarkable for the possession of the calamistrum and cri- 
bellum, but many of the spiders construct an orbicular web similar to that of many members 
of the Argiopide. 
212. Hyptiotes paradoxus (C. L. Koch). 
Grange ; Lake district (J. H.). 
Though comparatively a small spider it is 
of great interest on account of its extraordinary 
habits. Most of the orb-web spinners having 
constructed their net retire into a hiding-place 
having a line leading from the centre of the 
web to the retreat. This line they hold with 
the claws of a fore-leg, and thus receive instant 
notice of any insect touching the web and 
viscid lines. Directly this occurs the line is 
often jerked several times to encourage the 
entanglement of the insect, and the spider 
hastens to ascertain the nature of its capture. 
Hyptiotes however derives an even more re- 
fined amusement from the daily task of pro- 
viding itself with food. In this case the web 
is simply an isosceles triangle with cross-lines 
between the legs and the central radius, the 
legs being continued further than the base 
and fastened to a twig. From the apex of 
the triangle, which lies horizontally, a line is 
attached and held in the claws of the first two 
pairs of legs of the spider, being also attached 
to a twig a short distance behind the spider, 
They are very rare in England, being mostly denizens of the tropics. 
and held in the claws of the two hind pairs of 
legs. ‘This trap-line, as it is called, is gathered 
in a coil close to the spinners and held fast 
while the web is strained tight. Directly an 
insect touches the net, Hyptiotes lets go the 
slack, the net springs back and naturally falls 
more or less loosely on the struggling insect ; 
while the spider, still holding tight to the 
trap-line with its fore claws, is dragged for- 
ward by the spring of the net. Sometimes 
the slack is drawn in again and the net again 
sprung to make sure of a capture. I have 
observed cases in which the trap-line is not 
continuous but broken off, and the hinder 
portion proceeds directly from the spinners. 
‘The web has also often more than one central 
radius, but beyond slight differences such as 
these the mode of operation is the same in all 
cases which have come under my notice. 
These very rare spiders have only been 
elsewhere taken in the New Forest, Hamp- 
shire, and the specimen taken by Mr. Hodg- 
kinson in 1868 was the first record for Great 
Britain, and remained the only record until 
1894. 
DICTYNIDA 
The species possess the calamistrum and cribellum and three tarsal claws, but the eyes, 
eight in number, are situated in two transverse rows, the laterals being in contact. They con- 
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