223 



portion is taken as the ground colour ; but if the white spotted 

 portion bo so taken, the lateral bands then become black dentated 

 ones and the angular lines along the middle also black. The 

 under side is brownish-black with a few marginal white spots. 



The female is slightly larger than the male ; her abdomen 

 is of the ordinary form and projects well ovei the base of the 

 cephalo-thorax. In females, young males, and those that 

 have not long attained maturity, the abdominal pattern is 

 generally very distinct ; but in old males it is usually merged in 

 a more or less complete blackness, excepting two large white 

 spots, one on either side of the fore extremity. 



This is an abundant spider at Bloxworth, and in many other 

 localities in Dorsetshire. It is also found in other parts of 

 England, as well as in Scotland and "Wales. It is adult in spring 

 and summer, and its favourite haunts are among herbage, and the 

 debris of former fences in hedgo rows ; it is also found in various 

 other situations where it can obtain shelter among low growing 

 plants for its horizontal sheet of web, on the under side of which 

 it sits in an inverted position. The male may frequently be seen 

 running on paths and roads in the daytime. 



LINYPHIA FTJRTIVA. 



Linyphia fuetiva, Cambr., Trans. Linn. Soc, p. 425, pi. 55, 

 No. 20. 



The length of tho male is l-6th of an inch in length. 



This spider is nearly allied to the foregoing, but the profile 

 line of the caput and thorax is straight, and ascends gradually 

 to the eyes. 



The colour of the cephalo-thorax is dark-brown, tinged with 

 yellowish. The legs are long, moderately strong, and of a 

 yellowish-brown hue, the spines boing short and rathor fine. 

 The palpi are very like those of Linyphia clathrata, Sitnd., but the 

 bristly hairs on the radial joints are not so numerous, nor 

 grouped in a tuft-like form ; the digital joint and palpal organs 

 form a largor mass, though tho structure of the lattor is some- 



