DESCRIPTION OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 251 
No. 100. Nephila Wilderi, McCook. Plate VII, Figs. 1, 2; Pl. XXIII, 6, 7. 
1839. Nephila plumipes, Kocn, C. L.. . Die Arach., vi., p. 128, pl. 213, Fig, 529. 
1873. Nephila plumipes, Witprr. . . . Trans. Amer. Assocen. Ady. Sci., p. 263. 
1889. Nephila Wilderi, McCook . . . . Amer. Spid. and their Spinningwork, Vol. I., p.146. 
1889. Nephila plumipes, Marx... . . Catalogue, p. 551. 
Fematre: Total length, 23 mm.; cephalothorax, 9 mm. long, 7 mm. wide, 6 mm. across 
the face; abdomen, 20 mm. long, 7 mm. wide at the base, tapering to 5 mm. at the apex, 
The spider described as Nephila plumipes, and figured by Koch as aboye, is undoubtedly 
the species which abounds upon our Gulf Coast. But the specific name has already been 
appropriated for another species of the genus, the Epeira plumipes of Latreille.t That 
species resembles N. plumipes of Koch, but differs from it in having two tubercles, or 
horny processes, upon the base of the caput, near the corselet fosse. For this reason a new 
name becomes necessary, and already I had suggested the name of N. Wilderi, in honor of 
Professor Wilder, of Cornell University, whose interesting observations and experiments 
have made the life history of the species so well known. 
CrrHatorHorax: A long oval, squarely truncated at the base; thin, much depressed in 
the centre, at the fosse, which is a lateral pit; corselet grooves abbreviated, or represented 
by circular hollows; cephalic suture distinct near the base; caput elevated above the 
corselet; subtriangular at the apex, where it is cut straight across by the fosse; enlarging 
to the face, which is wide, strong, and but little depressed; summit of caput arched, the 
base without horns; color uniform dark brown, in older specimens particularly, but con- 
cealed largely by a thick coat of silvery white hairs. Sternum shield shape, somewhat 
longer than wide, dark brownish or brownish yellow color, rather heavily covered with 
yellowish pubescence; sternal cones strong, particularly before coxze-I, and in front of 
labium, where the cone is unusually high, and its base fully half that part of the organ. 
Labium elongated and rounded at the point; a little humped in the middle; silvery white 
pubescence on the edges and base. Maxillee about one-third longer (3 mm.) than labium 
(2 mm.), narrow at base, widening at tips, which are subtriangular, and inclined toward 
one another; ruddy brown, but at the tips glossy black brown, and covered sparingly with 
bristles; the inner edges concave. 
Eyes: Ocular quad on an eminence, highest and most projecting in front, longer than 
wide, narrower in front than behind; eyes not greatly differing in size, but MF apparently 
somewhat larger; these are separated by about two diameters; MR by three diameters; 
side eyes on the outer edges of strong corneous tubercles, which project much in front; 
nearly equal in size, but SIF slightly larger, and separated by 1.5 to 2 diameters. SF 
remoyed from MF by 1.5 the area of the latter, or by about 2.3 the dividing space; the 
distance of SR from MR is greater; front eye row well recurved, rear row procuryed; the 
clypeus has the height of 3 to 3.5 diameters MF; clusters of hair come up to the bases of 
the tubercles upon the sides, and surround the base of the ocular quad. 
Leas: 1, 2, 4, 3; the third leg being relatively quite short; not stout, the joints long 
and narrowing much towards the tips; they are dark yellow or yellowish brown, with 
brown annuli at the tips of joints; the patella short, dark brown; the tips of the femora 
and tibiz of legs-I and II are provided with brushes of bristles arranged upon the outside 
and inside thereof, the hairs standing quite thickly, and curved forward; leg-IV has a 
similar brush upon the extremity of the tip; leg—III is without a brush, but has a slight 
thickening of bristles, both above and below, on the tibia, which is relatively short; color 
of legs a ruddy yellow, except the tarsus and extremity of the mefatarsus, which are black 
or blackish ; joints quite abundantly provided with short, black spines. Palps dark yellow, 
or lighter brown at the humeral and axillary joints, darkening much on the other joints. 
The digital joint is nearly twice the length of the radial, and the latter is at least 1.5 
times the length of the cubital joint, which is short; the humeral joint has, underneath 
the entire length, a thick row of bristles, and these are abundant on the other joints. The 
1 Latreille: Nat. Hist. des Insectes, Vol. VII., page 275, No. 86. Walckenaer (Apt. Ins, II., page 98) 
regards this species as identical with his B, antipodiana. 
