DRASSUS. 
113 
lines; the sexual organs are minute, and have a reddish-brown tint; and the spinners are 
prominent, cylindrical, and of a pale, yellowish-brown colour. 
This spider was captured by Mr. Walker, near Lancaster, in August, 1850. 
Drassus sylvestris. PL YI, fig. 68. 
Drassus sylvestris, Blackw., Lond. and Edinb. Phil. Mag., third series, vol. iii, p. 440. 
— — Blackw., Research, in Zool., p. 342. 
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. viii, 
p. 40. 
— signifer, Koch, Die Arachn., Band vi, p. 31, tab. 188, fig. 452. 
Length of the female, §ths of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ith, breadth, | a ths; 
breadth of the abdomen, gth; length of a posterior leg, |,ths; length of a leg of the third 
pair, ^ths. 
The eyes are arranged on the anterior part of the cephalo-thorax in two transverse, 
parallel, slightly curved rows, having their convexity directed backwards; the intermediate 
eyes of the posterior row, which is rather the longer, are oval, nearer to each other than they 
are to the lateral eyes of the same row, and form a quadrangle with the intermediate eyes of 
the anterior row, which are the smallest of the eight. The cephalo-thorax is oval, glossy, 
convex, somewhat depressed in front, where the eyes are situated, and marked with slight 
furrows on the sides ; the falces are powerful, conical, prominent at the base, armed with teeth 
on the inner surface, and project a little forwards; the maxillae are long, convex at the base, 
enlarged where the palpi are inserted, and at the extremity, which is obliquely truncated on 
the inner side; they are depressed and contracted in the middle, and curved towards the lip, 
which is long, oval, convex at the base, and rounded at the apex; the sternum is oval, some¬ 
what pointed at its posterior extremity, and has minute eminences on the sides, opposite to the 
legs; the legs are robust, moderately hairy, and are supplied with a few small, sessile spines; 
the fourth pair is the longest, then the first, and the third pair is the shortest; each tarsus 
has hair-like papillae on its inferior surface, and two curved claws at its extremity, which are 
pectinated at their base; the palpi are strong, and are terminated by a single curved claw 
pectinated at its base. These parts are of a reddish-brown colour, the falces, maxillae, and 
lip being much the darkest. The abdomen is of an oblong-oviform figure, thickly covered 
with short hairs, and of a dull, olive-green colour, tinged with brown ; a band of a deeper hue, 
broad before and tapering to a point behind, extends from its anterior extremity, contiguous 
to the cephalo-thorax, nearly two thirds of its length, along the middle, the interval comprised 
between it and the spinners being occupied by a series of obscure, hoary, angular lines, having 
their vertices directed forwards; the spinners are prominent, cylindrical, and have a reddish- 
brown tint; the sexual organs are semicircular,"and of a dark, reddish-brown colour, approach¬ 
ing to black; and the branchial opercula are large, and have a yellow hue. 
The sexes are similar in colour, but the male is smaller than the female, and the relative 
15 
