186 



The darker specimens constitute Linyphia tenuis, Blackw., the 

 paler ones Linyphia terricola, Blackw. The female resembles 

 the male in colours and markings, hut the abdomen is 

 very convex above, and projects over the base of the cephalo- 

 thorax, and is usually more distinctly marked than that of the 

 male. 



Excepting in being very much smaller and brighter coloured 

 Linyphia tenelricola bears a very near general resemblance to 

 Linyphia leprosa, Ohl. ; while, however, the latter spider is seldom 

 found excepting in old buildings, wood stacks, crevices, under 

 blocks of stone, and other similar places of shelter, Linyphia 

 tenelricola is never found in such situations, but is one 

 of our commonest spiders among grass and otter herbage in 

 most localities in England. It is also met with in Ireland, 

 Scotland, and "Wales. The immature examples are fre- 

 quent aeronauts, and sometimes the adult males also, doubtless 

 contributing considerably to the gossamer lines seen on fine 

 days in spring and autumn. The adult males may also often be 

 found during the whole of the summer, running actively on 

 the surface of the bare ground, as well as on iron railings, 

 palings, and many other objects, by which they are arrested in 

 their aerial excursions. 



LINYPHIA FREDERICI, ep. n. 



Adult male, length scarcely more than 2-3rds of a line. 



The cephalo -thorax is yellow-brown with a distinct broadish 

 black marginal line, and some irregular, converging lines on the 

 sides of a more dusky hue ; the occiput also has a somewhat 

 hexagonal, central, dusky patch emitting a fine black line from 

 the middle of both its anterior and posterior extremities, and 

 from each eye of the hind-central pair a short blackish streak runs 

 backwards. The thoracic region is rather gibbous, and although 

 (when looked at in profile) its summit is not much raised above 

 that of the ocular area, there is a considerable depression between 

 those two points. 



