109 



stronger than tho cubital, and has three projections at its fore 

 extremity ; two, large and obtuse, on the upper side, project over 

 the base of tho digital joint, while the third is small, pointed, and 

 situated underneath ; each of the falces is armed with a strong 

 prominent tooth in front towards the fore extremity on the inner 

 side. The female (and now and then the male) has sometimes a 

 longitudinal, control, ill-defined, pole band on the upper side of tho 

 abdomen. The sexes are, in most other respects, similar to each 

 other. This is a tolerably common spider at Bloxworth on furze 

 bushes when in full bloom, and on the bronches of trees, as 

 well as among underwood. It is also found in many other parts 

 of England, and in Scotland. 



NEBIENE NIGRA. 



Nekiene nigra, Blackw., Spid. Great Brit, and Irel., p. 271, pi. 

 xviii., fig. 185. 



The length of this spidor is rathor more than one line. It is 

 almost completely block, or black with a brownish tinge ; the 

 cephalo-thorax is glossy, whilo the abdomen is of a dull hue, 

 and the legs are reddish-brown. The caput is rather elevated, 

 and prominent in the ocular region. The palpi are similar in 

 colour to tho legs, and (in the male) the cubital joint is 

 long, and enlarges gradually to its fore extremity, while the 

 radial joint has its upper extremity produced into a 

 long, narrow process, ending in a bent point, the point directed 

 outwords. The digital joint is rother small, and the 

 palpal organs have a kind of corkscrew-shaped, spiny process at 

 their extremity. 



I have found this spider tolerably plentiful on iron railings at 

 Bloxworth in the months of April and May ; ond it is one of 

 those to which, in its young stote, much of the gossamer over our 

 fields in autumn is due. It is also found in other parts of 

 England, as well as in Scotland. 



