171 



Not rare, running on iron railings in sunshine, in May and 

 June, at Bloxworth Eectory. I have also received it from 

 various parts of England, Scotland, and North Wales. 



WALCKENAERA ACUMINATA. 



Waiokenaera acuminata, Blaclcw., Spid. Great Brit, and Irel., 

 p. 289, pi. xx., fig. 203. 



This fine species is one of the most singular of all yet 

 described, in the form of the fore part of the caput. The fore 

 extremity of this part is elevated into a vertical, slender, stalk- 

 like process, whose height is equal to about two-thirds of the 

 total length of the cephalo-thorax. This curious eminence is a 

 little bent forwards towards the extremity. Two pairs of largish 

 eyes are placed, one pair on each side of a slight enlargement near 

 the middle ; the rost of the eyes are on andnoar the summit, which 

 is enlarged, of a somewhat rounded form, and furnished with a 

 few short strong hairs ; the summit is divided by a transverse 

 furrow, into two segmonts, an upper and a lowor one, the latter 

 being tho smaller of the two. 



The radial joint of the male palpus is much shorter and 

 stronger than the cubital (which is rather long and slightly 

 clavate), and has its fore extremity produced into three 

 apophyses ; one on the inner side (the longest of the three) is 

 curvod, with its point directed outwards, and a process near its 

 base on the outer side ; while the outer one is shorter, stronger, 

 and obtuse. The digital joint is large, and the palpal organs 

 are prominent and complex, with a strong, circularly curved 

 spine, towards their extremity on the outer side. 



The colour of tho cephalo-thorax is dark, reddish-brown, that 

 of the legs and palpi roddish-yollow, and the abdomen black. 



The female is larger than the male, but resembles it in oolours. 

 The fore part of the caput is elevated moderately, in a simple 

 acute-conical form, with the eyes closely grouped together on 

 and about its summit. 



This remarkable spider is of rare occurrence, among dead 



