280 
LINYPHIIDiE. 
Length of the female, ’th of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, rath, breadth, T ' 5 th; 
breadth of the abdomen, T gth; length of a posterior leg, |ths; length of a leg of the third 
pair, raths. 
The eyes are seated on black spots, the anterior ones of the four forming the trapezoid, 
which are placed on a slight protuberance, being the smallest of the eight. The cephalo- 
thorax is convex, glossy, compressed before, and rounded on the sides, which are marked 
with furrows converging towards a large indentation in the medial line; it is of a yellowish- 
brown colour, with narrow, black margins, and a band of the same hue extending along the 
middle. The falces are powerful, conical, vertical, gibbous in front, near the base, armed with 
teeth on the inner surface, and of a red-brown hue. The maxillae are short, strong, enlarged 
at the extremity, inclined towards the lip, and have a pale, red-brown tint. The lip is semi¬ 
circular and of a reddish-brown colour, the apex, which is prominent, being the palest. The 
sternum is heart-shaped, with slight prominences on the sides, opposite to the articulation of 
the legs, and its colour is yellowish-brown. The legs, which are moderately robust, are pro¬ 
vided with hairs and black spines; they are of a yellowish-brown hue, with brownish-black 
annuli, and the posterior is rather longer than the anterior pair; 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, and have a curved, pectinated claw at 
their extremity. The abdomen is oviform, glossy, thinly clothed with short hairs, convex 
above, projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax; the upper part is of a yellowish-white or 
pinkish hue, intersected by numerous fine, dark-brown lines, which give it a reticulated 
appearance; along the middle there extends a fine, dark-brown band, which is somewhat rami¬ 
fied and tapers to its posterior extremity; on each side of this band there is a series of obscure, 
irregular, dark-hrown spots, confluent or nearly so, which form two bands converging to the 
spinners; the under part is of a dark-brown colour, with a few yellowish spots; the sexual 
organs have a dark, reddish-brown hue ; that of the spinners is red-brown; and the branchial 
opercula are of a yellow colour, with red-brown lips. 
The male bears a close resemblance to the female, but it is smaller and rather lighter 
coloured. The metatarsal joint of its anterior pair of legs, which is enlarged, is depressed on 
the upper part, and provided with numerous hairs underneath. The cubital joint of the palpi 
is clavate, and has a long, black bristle connected with its extremity, in front; it is larger than 
the radial joint, which has several long, black bristles on its under and inner sides, and a 
conical apophysis underneath, near the extremity, projecting from it at right angles, and 
having an enlargement near its base, on the outer side; the digital joint has somewhat of an 
elongated oval form, with three obtuse processes near the outer side of the base, the middle 
one being the most prominent; it is convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising 
the palpal organs, which are highly developed, prominent, complicated in structure, with a 
large, obtuse process at their base, which is curved outwards, and extends nearly to the arti¬ 
culation of the cubital with the radial joint, and several short, curved, pointed ones at the 
extremity; they are of a dark, reddish-brown colour. The convex sides of the digital joints 
are directed towards each other. 
Neriene trilineata is not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Manchester, where it con¬ 
ceals itself under stones. Mr. R. H. Meade has met with it in Yorkshire, and Mr. J. Hardy 
has taken it in Berwickshire. 
