306 



Tho palpal organs aro of very simple structure, with no 

 prominent processes. 



The abdomen is truncated before, a littlo broader behind, and 

 obtusely pointed at its hinder extremity. The upper side is 

 deep brown, slightly tinged with reddish, and irregularly 

 margined with yellowish-white ; the dontatod band is generally 

 moro or loss obsolete, being usually only traceable by some 

 broken, transverse, yellowish-white linos or markings ; occa- 

 sionally it is moro distinct, but it is even then much marked 

 and suffused with dark reddish-brown, and its outlines are 

 always broken and irrogular. One example, however, in my 

 possession has this band quite free from dark markings, and 

 almost exactly like that of Xysticus lanio, but with less regular 



The female is much lighter coloured and less distinctly 

 marked than the male. The dentated band on the abdomen is 

 scarcely defined at all, being only of a very little lighter hue than 

 tho rest ; the whole abdomen is of a dull brownish colour, thickly 

 and minutely freckled with whitish, as well as with darker 

 points interspersed here and thero with a larger red-brown spot. 



This is rather a rare spider, but I have found it occasionally by 

 sweeping among low plants, grass, and other herbage in open 

 places in woods, at Bloxworth, in Juno and July. It has also 

 been found in North "Wabs. It may be distinguished without 

 much difficulty from its congeners by its indistinctly defined, 

 abdominal markings, and its generally dark colours, as well as 

 by tho form of tho central marking behind the eyes. 



XYSTICUS ROBUSTUS. 



TnoMisus robustus, JTahn., Die Arachn. I., p. 50. tab. xiii., fig. 



38, A.C. 

 Xtstious morio, C. L. Koch., Die Arachn. IV., p. 51, tab. exxv., 

 fig. 289. 

 ,, ,, Cambr., Trans. Linn. Soc. xxviii., p. 436. 



Length of the male, 2 J lines. 

 This fine spider may bo oasily recognised by its short, broad, 



