EPS IRA. 
368 
over the base of the cephalo-thorax, and its prevailing colour is yellowish-white ; the sides are 
marked with streaks and blotches of a pale, reddish-brown hue, a broad, irregular, blackish 
band, comprising several white marks, extends from the anterior part to the extremity of the 
conical protuberance, and the space between the protuberance and the spinners has a brown 
tint, with confluent, white spots constituting longitudinal and transverse lines; the under part 
is black, and a large, angular, white mark, whose lower side is the broader, and whose vertex 
is directed obliquely downwards and outwards, occurs on each side of it; the sexual organs 
are prominent, and of a dark, reddish-brown colour, with a somewhat cylindrical process, 
directed backwards, in connexion with their anterior margin ; and the branchial opercula 
have a brown tint. The cephalo-thorax is small, convex, glossy, compressed before, rounded 
on the sides, and has a broad indentation in the medial line ; the falces are long, powerful, 
armed with teeth on the inner surface, and slightly inclined towards the sternum, which is 
heart-shaped, and has small eminences on the sides, opposite to the legs ; the maxillae are 
strong, and the lip is nearly semicircular, but somewhat pointed. These parts are of a very 
dark, reddish-brown or brownish-black colour, with the exception of the extremities of the 
maxilla; and lip, which have a pale, reddish-brown hue. The four intermediate eyes nearly 
form a square, the two anterior ones, which are rather wuder apart than the posterior ones, 
being placed on a bold protuberance; those of each lateral pair are seated obliquely on a 
minute tubercle, and are almost in contact. The legs are moderately long, sparingly provided 
with hairs and fine spines, and of a reddish-brown colour, the coxae and femora being much 
the palest, with brown spots and annuli; and each tarsus is terminated by the customary 
number of claws of the usual structure. The palpi have a slightly curved, pectinated claw 
at their extremity, and are of a pale, yellowish-brown colour, the extremity of the radial joint 
and the whole of the digital joint, except its base, having a dark, reddish-brown tint. This 
species varies greatly in the intensity and distribution of its colours, both in the immature and 
adult states, and young individuals have the conical protuberance on the upper part of the 
abdomen less perfectly developed than old ones; but it may always be readily distinguished 
from other British Epeirce by the singularity of its form. 
There is much similarity between the sexes of Epeira conica, but the male is the darker 
coloured, and its cephalo-thorax is larger in proportion to the size of its abdomen. The 
femora of its first and second pairs of legs are of a brownish-black hue, with the exception of 
their bases, which have a yellowish-white tint; those of the third and fourth pairs are 
brownish-black at their extremity only, the colour of the remaining portion and of all the 
coxae being yellowish-w’hite. The palpi are short and of a yellowish-brown hue, with the 
exception of the digital joint, which has a very dark-brown tint; the cubital joint has a long 
bristle at its extremity, in front, and the radial joint, which is larger than the cubital, has an 
obtuse protuberance on its outer side ; the digital joint is of an oblong oval form, tapering to 
its extremity, and having an obtuse process at its base, directed outwards; it is convex and 
hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are very highly 
developed, remarkably prominent, complicated in structure, and of a very dark-brown 
colour. 
Mr. R. H. Meade has met with this remarkable spider in Buckinghamshire, and has 
received an adult male from Middlesex, in which county immature individuals of both sexes 
have also been obtained. Lister states that he has frequently seen Epeira conica in lofty 
