136 
DRASSID^E. 
are seated obliquely on a small tubercle, and are almost contiguous. The abdomen is 
oviform, pointed at the posterior extremity, sparingly clothed with hairs, glossy, convex 
above, projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax ; it is of an olive-green colour, and has 
a dark, red-brown band, bordered with yellow, extending along the middle of the upper part; 
four small depressions, forming a quadrilateral figure, occur on the upper part, and a yellow 
line, originating at the anterior pair, passes obliquely along each side to a point below 
the spinners; two parallel lines of the same hue are produced from the branchial opercula, 
which have a bright-yellow tint, to the spinners ; the colour of the sexual organs is very dark, 
reddish-brown. 
The abdomen of the male is smaller than that of the female, but its legs are longer. Its 
falces are long, prominent, and somewhat divergent at the extremity. The radial joint 
of the palpi is longer and slenderer than the cubital, and has a pointed apophysis at its 
extremity, on the outer side, and a very minute one on the inner side ; the digital joint has an 
oblong-oval form, and projects from its base, on tbe outer side, a long, fine, pointed spine 
which is curved backwards; it has a reddish-brown hue, is convex and hairy externally, and 
concave within, comprising the palpal organs; these organs are moderately developed, 
provided with one or two spine-like processes, and of a brownish-black colour. 
Specimens of this handsome species are frequently met with in woods and on commons 
in the west of Denbighshire. In July the female constructs a cell of white silk, of a compact 
texture, among the stems of gorse, heath, or the leaves of plants, which she curves about it 
and secures in that position by means of silken lines. In this cell she deposits about 140 
eggs of a deep-yellow colour, not agglutinated together; they are contained in an exceedingly 
delicate tissue of white silk, of a subglobose form, measuring one fourth of an inch in 
diameter, which is attached to the surface of the cell. The female, after the deposition of her 
eggs, does not appear to quit the cell even for the purpose of procuring food. 
A collection of spiders made by the Rev. Hamlet Clark, in the autumn of 1842, at 
Wappenham, in Northamptonshire, comprised specimens of this species. 
Genus ARGYRONETA (. Latreille ). 
Eyes disposed on the anterior part of the cephalo-thorax in two transverse rows ; they do 
not differ remarkably in size, but the intermediate ones of the anterior row, which are seated 
on a minute prominence, are the smallest, and, with those of the posterior row, describe 
a trapezoid whose shortest side is before; each lateral pair is placed obliquely on a 
tubercle. 
Maxillae powerful, rounded at the extremity, and inclined towards the lip. 
Lip long, triangular, dilated at the base, and rounded at the apex. 
Leys robust; the first pair is the longest, then the fourth, the third pair being the 
shortest. 
