296 



Falconer: Cornicularia kochu, Camb. 



be thus distinguished. In Wideria Sim. the posterior row of 

 eyes, instead of being straight or nearly so, is curved strongly 

 backwards. In Walckenaeva Bl. the front is wider and the eyes 

 occupy only a portion and not the whole of its width. In 

 Prosopotheca Sim. the posterior eyes are much larger and closer 

 In Tigellinus Sim. the tarsi of the first pair of legs, instead of 

 being about the same length as, are much shorter than, the 

 metatarsi ; while the tibial spines are also longer and stouter. 



Eight species of Corniculariae have now been recognised in 

 the British Isles. Two only of these, C. ciispidata Bl. and 

 C. unicornis Camb., can be considered at all common ; the 

 rest are amongst our rarest spiders. Of C. pavitans and C. 

 piuiens Camb., the solitary type females from the Cheviots, 1871, 

 and of C. lucida Camb., two males from Dorset, 1870 and 1900, 

 alone exist, while C. karpinskii Camb. has been taken twice — 

 in Lanarkshire and Cumberland, 1900. The males of four 

 species — C. cuspidata BL, C. unicornis, C. karpinskii and C. 

 kochii Camb., are provided with a very distinct tubercle spring- 

 ing from the centre of the ocular area. In two species, C. 

 vigilax Bl. and C. lucida Camb., there is no such process. 



Apart from minor differences, the presence or absence and 

 the form and size of this tubercle, wdll, therefore, together with 

 the structure of the palpus, especially of the tibial joint and of 

 the palpal organs, most readily distinguish the males of the 

 genus from each other ; while the formation of the vulva, and 

 the position and size of the eyes will render the same service in 

 the case of the females. 



Fam.— Argiopid^. 



Sub-fam. — Linyphiin^. 



Group — Erigone^. 



Section — Walckenaerini. 



r ] 



CORNICULARIA KOCHII Camb. 

 Length of male, 2*6 mm. 



The cephalothorax of this spider is a very dark brown, devoid 

 of punctate impressions, but somewhat rugulose behind at the 

 sides and back. The abdomen is black and clothed with short 

 hairs. The fakes and mouth parts are a lighter dark brown, 

 and the joints of the palpus, except the digital joint, which is a 

 little darkened, are pale yellow. None of the above parts pre- 

 sent any exceptional feature. 



Ocular Tubercle. This process (hgs. i, 2 and 3) in this 



Naturalist, 



