124 



only with hairs, but with strongish bristles, approaohing the 

 naturo of spines ; they are callod spines by Mr. Blackwall, but 

 are not, however, reckoned to be spines, sensu strioto, by 

 other authors. The distinction between a strong bristle and a 

 slender spine is an extremely arbitrary one, and liable to be dis- 

 regarded or not, according to the systematic value placed upon 

 the presence or absence of spines. If the present spider wero 

 considered to possess true spinos on the legs, it would, acoording 

 to some authors, have to bo removed from the genus Neri&ne into 

 that of Linyphia ; since Neriiine, sensu strioto, ought not to oon- 

 tain spiders with such spinos. It appears to me that the 

 armature in question does, in this specios, oome rightly under the 

 description of fine spines, and that eventually this spider will, 

 with some others, form a generic group pretty noarly equivalent 

 to Bathyphantes Menge. The palpi aro long ; the radial joint is 

 rather produced, in an obtuse form, at the fore extremity of the 

 upper side, where (as well as on the sides) it is furnished with 

 strong bristles. The digital joint is of moderate size, with a 

 very distinct lobe, or prominence, on the outer side. 

 The palpal organs are prominent and complex, with, among 

 others, a large, bent, irregularly triangular process at their base 

 on the outer side. The female is rather larger and lighter 

 coloured than the male. 



I have found this spider, though very rarely, among moss in 

 early summor at Bloxworth ; and it has been met with in Scot' 

 land and Wales, but equally rarely. 



NERIENE SAXATILIS. 



Neriene saxatilis, Blackw., Spid. Groat Brit, and Irel., p. 262. 

 The male of this small spider measures but l-12th of an inch in 

 length, and the caput is on a level with the thorax. The colour 

 of the cephalo-thorax is brown, that of the legs paler brown, 

 and the abdomen blackish. The radial joint of the palpus has 

 at its fore extremity, near the upper side, a pointed projection 

 curved outwards, and tho digital joint has a protuberance at its 



