LINYPHIA. 
245 
Linyphia gracilis. PI. XVII, fig. 163. 
Linyphia gracilis, Blackw., Linn. Trans., vol. xviii, p. 666. 
— — 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, ^th of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, Ath, breadth, ^nd ; 
breadth of the abdomen, 35 th; length of an anterior leg, jth ; length of a leg of the third 
pair, isth. 
The cephalo-thorax is convex, glossy, compressed before and rounded on the sides, 
which are marked with furrows converging towards an indentation in the medial line. The 
falces are moderately powerful, conical, armed with a few teeth on the inner surface, and 
inclined towards the sternum, which is heart-shaped, convex, glossy, and provided with some 
scattered hairs. The maxillae are strong, enlarged at the base, where the palpi are inserted, 
and slightly inclined towards the lip, which is semicircular, and prominent at the apex. The 
colour of the cephalo-thorax, sternum, and lip is brown-black, and that of the falces and 
maxillae brown, faintly tinged with red. 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 the largest, and the anterior ones 
much the smallest of the eight. The legs are long, slender, provided with hairs and erect 
spines, and of a pale-brown colour tinged with red; 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 are short, and resemble the legs in colour, with the exception of the digital joint, 
which is darker ; the radial joint is much stronger than the cubital; the digital joint is oval, 
. convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly 
developed, prominent, complicated in structure, with a small, glossy protuberance on the outer 
side, near the base, and a fine spine at the extremity, enveloped in delicate membrane, and 
curved into a circular form; they are of a red-brown colour. The convex sides of the digital 
joints are directed towards each other. 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 dull-brown. Some individuals have a 
series of obscure, angular lines of a brownish hue, whose vertices are directed forwards, 
extending along the middle of the upper part of the abdomen. 
Mature males of Linyphia gracilis were found on rails near Crumpsall Hall in 
November, 1836. 
