324 



means a common, spider. It occurs in similar situations -with 

 Oxyptila trux, as well as at the roots of heather ; the adult 

 male is sometimes found running on roads and paths through 

 heaths and meadows at Bloxworth in May and June, and Mr. 

 Dale has found it at Glanvilles Wootton. I have also received 

 it from othor parts of England, as well as from North Wales 

 and Scotland. 



OXYPTILA SIMPLEX. 



Thomisus simplex, Cambr., Zoologist 1862, p. 7951. 

 Xystious pusio, Thorell, Syn. Europ. Spid., p. 25C (1873). 



The length of the male varies from l-8th to l-7th of an inch, 

 and the fomale is rathor larger. 



This spider is nearly allied to both Oxyptila atomaria, Panz. , 

 and Oxyptila trux, Blaekw., though porhaps most nearly to the 

 latter. It may, however, be easily distinguished not only by its 

 usually paler and plainer colours, but (in the male sex) by the 

 structure of the radial joint of the palpus. The dark varieties are 

 less frequent than the light coloured ones. The cephalo-thorax, 

 in the darkest male I have soen, is of a deep, slightly roddish- 

 brown colour, very faintly veined with yellowish, the longitudinal 

 band, as well as the central marking, being traceable only by means 

 of a bright, yellowish, triangular patch (the vertex of which is 

 directed backwards) near tho hinder part, strongly notchod in front, 

 and indicating tho posterior extromity of the central marking ; in 

 some examples thoro are, on each side of the cephalo-thorax, 

 two dark longitudinal bands, and an intermediate palor ono, 

 like those of Oxyptila atomaria ; while more frequently one or 

 both of these bands are scarcely traceable, the whole being of a 

 pale yellowish-brown hue, and the central baud whitish on the 

 hinder part. 



The legs are dull brownish-yollow, with the femora of the first 

 and second pairs (in dark examples) strongly suffused with 

 emoky black. 



The paipi aro like the legs iu colour, tho digital joint boing 



