244 
LINYPHIIDiE. 
Linyphia obscura. PI. XYII, fig. 162. 
Linyphia obscura , Blackw., Linn. Trans., vol. xviii, p. 665. 
— — Walck., Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt., tom. iv, p. 499. 
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix, 
p. 19. 
Length of the male, f.th of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, 5 ' ? th, breadth, 3 5 th; 
breadth of the abdomen, ^th; length of an anterior leg, jth; length of a leg of the third 
pair, ^th. 
The four intermediate eyes form a trapezoid whose anterior side is the shortest, and those 
of each lateral pair are seated obliquely on a tubercle, and are contiguous; the posterior eyes 
of the trapezoid are much the largest, and the anterior ones are the smallest of the eight. 
The cephalo-thorax is convex, glossy, compressed before and rounded on the sides, which are 
marked with slight furrows converging towards an indentation in the medial line ; the falces 
are conical, armed with a few teeth on the inner surface, and inclined towards the sternum, 
which is heart-shaped; the maxillae are strong, gibbous underneath, pointed at the extremity, 
on the inner side, and encompass the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the apex. 
These parts are of a dark-brown colour, the cephalo-thorax, which is the darkest, being 
almost black, and the maxillae are the palest. The legs are long, provided with hairs and 
erect spines, and of a yellowish-brown hue, slightly tinged with red ; the first pair is the 
longest, then the second, and the third pair is the shortest; 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 palpi resemble the legs in colour, with the exception of the digital joint, which 
has a dark-brown tint; the cubital and radial joints are short, a long, slender bristle being 
connected with the extremity of the former, in front; the digital joint is somewhat oval, with 
a projection on the outer side, and a conical, slightly curved, acute process, directed upwards, 
at its base; it is convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, 
which are highly developed, and very complicated in structure, having on the outer side of 
the upper part a curved, corneous process, bifid at its extremity, an obtuse, glossy protube¬ 
rance lower down, and a long, acute spine directed downwards and outwards; they are of a 
dark, red-brown colour. The abdomen is oviform, convex above, projecting over the base of 
the cephalo-thorax; it is thinly clothed with hairs, glossy, and of a brownish-black hue; and 
the colour of the branchial opercula is dark-brown. 
Males of this spider, having the palpal organs fully developed, were taken in June, 1836, 
on rails at Oakland. 
Some individuals have a series of obscure, transverse, slightly curved lines on the upper 
part of the abdomen, an oblique spot on each side of its anterior extremity, and a line extend¬ 
ing along each side of a yellowish-white colour. An adult male, captured by Mr. Wintle, 
near Gloucester, in 1860, and received from the Rev. 0. P. Cambridge in the autumn of the 
same year, had its abdomen marked with yellowish-white lines and spots. 
