264 



curved band below the fore margin, encloses a large sub-triangular 

 area, on which the white spots are predominant, and some- 

 times almost confluent. The above-mentioned band has, on 

 the hinder part, its black margins bordered with a close set 

 row of nearly confluent white spots, almost giving the appear- 

 ance in many examples, of a continuous line. On the lower 

 part of the sides is a broad, longitudinal, dentated, brownish- 

 black band. The under side is black, with two curved, white, 

 marginal bands, each followed by two white spots near the base 

 of the spinners. 



This is an exceedingly pretty little spider ; it is not rare on 

 underwood at Bloxworth, in the months of June and July, at 

 which season it attains the adult state. It has also occurred, 

 though rarely, in two or three other parts of England. 



EPEIKA ACALYPHA. 



Epeira acalypha, Walck., Blackw., Spid. Great Brit, and Irel. 

 p. 341, pi. xxv., fig. 246. 



The length of the female seldom reaches 3 lines, and the male 

 is very much smaller — from 1J to 1J in length. 



The cephalo-thorax is strongly constricted laterally, and rather 

 narrow at the fore part of the caput, thus bringing the three 

 groups of eyes rather more closely together than in most othor species 

 of this genus. The eyes of the hind central pair are in a, 

 straight line with those of the two lateral pairs. Its colour is 

 pale yellowish, slightly tinged with greenish-brown. The lateral 

 margins are black, and there is a central longitudinal line of 

 the same colour. The legs are tolerably long (1.2.4.3.), but not 

 very strong, and are similar in colour to the cephalo-thorax. 

 The extremities of the joints are blackish, and there are a few 

 other spots of tho same colour ; the upper and under sides of the 

 femora of the first and second pairs being also marked with a 

 dark stripe. The spines are long, particularly on the tibiae. 



The abdomen is oval, very convex above, and projects con- 

 eiderably over the cephalo-thorax. Its colour, on the upper 



