80 

 GENUS EPISINUS, Wahh THEEIDION, Blachw. (in part). 



The general form and appearance of the only spider of this 

 genus, found in Great Britain, are so remarkable, and so 

 aberrant from the typical genera of the family, that no difficulty 

 will be found in recognising it should it be met with ; indeed, 

 the difficulty is to retain it consistently in its present position. 

 Few persons would at first sight consider it to belong to the 

 Theridiidos, In some respects it bears considerable resemblance 

 to some of the Thomisides, especially to the spiders of a very 

 remarkable group allied to that family. — Stephanopis, Cambr., 

 found in Australia, where, however, no examples of Episinus 

 have yet been found. In South America Episinus occurs in com- 

 pany with somo other spiders distinctly intermediate between it 

 and the Australian Stephanopis. 



The cephalo-thorax is much the broadest behind, and of a 

 flattish form, the thorax higher than the caput. The eyes are 

 small and placed in the form of a segment of a circle, whose con- 

 vexity is diroctod forwards. The relative length of the legs, 

 which are without spines, is 1.4.2.3., 1 and 4 are long, 2 and 3 

 very much shorter; the length of those of the third pairnot 

 much, if at all, exceeding that of the spider itself. The 

 maxillee are moderate in length and strength, enlarged at 

 the insertion of the palpi, obliquely truncated at their ex- 

 tremity on the outer sido, and strongly inclined toward* the 

 labium, which is almost semicircular, though slightly pointed at 

 the apex. 



EPISINUS TRUNCATUS. 



Episinus trunoatus, Walch., Ins., Apt. iv., p. 371. 



Thiridion angulattjm, Blackw., Spid. Great Brit, andlrel., p. 

 202, pi. xv., fig. 133. 



The length of the female is one-seventh of an inch, and the 

 male is rather smaller. 



This spider may be known at once, from all others of the 

 family, by the form of the abdomen, which is rather flattened 



