81 



above and narrow in front, but widons gradually to the hinder 

 extremity, where it is broad, very steep, and truncate, and has a 

 small subcorneal prominence at each upper corner. 



The legs are of a yellowish-brown hue, annulated with red- 

 brown ; they are rather slender, and the movements of tho 

 spider are slow and awkward. The cophalo-thorax has a broad, 

 deep reddish-brown, central stripe, with some lateral markings of 

 the same colour on a paler yellowish-brown ground. 



The colour of the abdomen is dark yellow-brown, with an 

 indistinct pattern, mixed with red-brown, pale-yellowish, and 

 black on the upper side ; round the lateral margins of which an 

 irregular black line runs, as far as the beginning of the steep 

 posterior slope, where it is continued transversely, and connects 

 the two subcorneal prominences. The posterior slope is often 

 marked with some strong, angular, blaok markings. 



The palpi are slender ; the digital joint of that of the male is 

 of (comparatively) enormous size, and, with the palpal organs, 

 which are complex, forms an unusually large, oblong-oval, club- 

 liko termination to the palpus. 



This spider is not rare among heather, moss and herbage on 

 Bloxworth Heath, where it may be found by tearing up the 

 heather, and shaking out its contents on a sheet of paper, or by 

 raking with a crooked stick under the heathy ledges and ridges. 

 Mr. C. W. Dale has sent it to me from Glanvilles Wootton ; it 

 is also found in many other parts of England, and in North 

 Wales. 



I have not yet succeeded in finding it in any kind of web, or 

 Bnare. It is adult during the summer months, and the young 

 spiders, hatched in the latter part of summer, like numerous 

 other spiders, live through the winter. 



GENUS PHOLCOMMA, Thorell. THERIDION, Cambr. 

 (in part). 



This genus possesses all the characteristics of the Theridiides ; 

 and except for one character — the peculiar disposition of the eyes — 

 and it could scarcely be separated from the next genus (Theridion). 



