THERIDION. 
205 
Theridion signatum. PI. XIV, fig. 135. 
Theridion signatum , Walck., Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt., tom. ii, p. 333. 
— — Blackw., Linn. Trans., vol. xix, p. 124. 
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. viii, 
p. 446. 
— quadrisignatum, Hahn, Die Arachn., Band i, p. 80, tab. 20, fig. 60 (mis- 
numbered 59 in the plate). 
Drassus phaleratus, Sund., Vet. Acad. Handl., 1831, p. 133. 
Asagena phalerata, Sund., Consp. Arachn., pp. 19, 20. 
— serratipes, Koch, Uebers. des Arachn. Syst., erstes Heft, p. 13. 
— — Koch, Die Arachn., Band vi, p. 98, tab. 204, figs. 502, 503. 
Length of the male, ^ths of an inch: length of the cephalo-thorax, Ath, breadth, T ' ? th; 
breadth of the abdomen, Ath; length of an anterior leg, Atlis: length of a leg of the third 
pair, gth. 
The legs are robust, and have two rows of short, pointed spines on the under side of the 
femora and tibiae of the first and second pairs, and the femora of the third and fourth pairs; 
the anterior and posterior pairs are the longest, and are equal in length, and the third pair is 
the shortest ; they have a red-brown hue, with the exception of the coxae, the whole of the 
tibiae, and the extremities of the femora of the first pair, and the extremities of the femora and 
tibiae of the other three pairs, which have a dark-brown tint; each tarsus is terminated by 
three claws ; the two superior ones are curved and pectinated, and the inferior one is inflected 
near its base. The cephalo-thorax is large, oval, convex, rough, like shagreen, with an inden¬ 
tation in the medial line, and some short spines on the lateral margins; the falces are powerful, 
united at the base, and armed with a short, strong fang at their extremity; the maxilla? are 
enlarged where the palpi are inserted, obliquely truncated at the extremity, on the outer side, 
and inclined towards the lip, which is triangular and pointed at the apex; the sternum is heart- 
shaped, and rough, like the cephalo-thorax. These parts are of a dark-brown colour. The four 
intermediate eyes form a quadrangle, the anterior pair being seated on a protuberance; those 
of each lateral pair are placed on a tubercle, and are contiguous. The palpi are of a dark-brown 
colour, with the exception of the radial and digital joints, which have a brownish-black tint; 
these joints are anchylosed, so that they appear to constitute one large, oval joint, which is 
convex and hairy externally, and concave within, comprising the palpal organs; these organs 
are highly developed, complicated in structure, provided with several strong, corneous pro¬ 
cesses, and are of a dark-brown colour. The abdomen is oviform, sparingly clothed with 
hairs, convex above, projecting a little over the base of the cephalo-thorax; it is of a brownish- 
black hue, with a curved, transverse line in front, an oblong spot above the spinners, and one 
on each side, of a bright-yellow colour; at its anterior extremity, where the cephalo-thorax is 
connected with it, there is a ridge produced by a fold of the integument, on which are disposed 
minute tubercles, each having a fine hair at its summit. 
