Linyphia tenuis. PI. XVI, fig. 152.
Linyphia tenuis, Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix, p. 18.
r-^ pusilla, Blackw., Research, in Zool., p. 392.
Length of the female, ^th of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^nd, breadth, ^ th ;
breadth of the abdomen, ^ th ; length of an anterior leg, ^ths; length of a leg of the third
pair, gth.
The cephalo-thorax is somewhat oval, slightly compressed before, rather prominent
in front, where the eyes are situated, convex and glossy, with an indentation in the
• medial line, the falces are . powerful, conical, armed with teeth on the inner surface,
and slightly inclined towards the sternum, which is heart-shaped; the maxillae have
' the exterior angle, at their extremity, curvilinear; and the lip is semicircular. These
parts are of a dark-brown colour, the lip and the lateral margins of the cephalo-thorax being
the darkest, and the falces and maxillae having a faint tinge of red. The eyes are seated on
black spots; the fou£ intermediate ones describe a trapezoid whose anterior side is the
shortest, and those of each lateral pair are placed obliquely on a small tubercle, and are
contiguous; the posterior eyes of the trapezoid are the largest, and the anterior ones, which
are seated on a protruberance, are the smallest of the eight. The legs are long, slender,
provided with hairs and fine, erect spines, and of a yellowish-brown colour; the first pair is
the longest, the second pair slightly surpasses the fourth, and the third pair is the shortest;
each tarsus is terminated by three claws; the two superior ones are curved and slightly pectinated,
and the inferior one is inflected near its base. The palpi resemble the legs in colour.
The abdomen is oviform, glossy, thinly clothed with hairs, pointed at the spinners, convex
above, and projects over the base of the cephalo-thorax; it is of a light-brown colour, thickly
freckled with pale yellowish-white on the upper part, and has a series of curved, angular,
black lines extending along the middle, which have their convex sides towards each other,
their extremities greatly enlarged, and their vertices directed forwards; the sides and under
part have a brownish-black tint; a longitudinal, slightly curved, pale yellowish-white line
occurs on the anterior half of the former, and a semicircular one of the same hue passes above
the spinners; the sexual organs have a light yellowish-brown septum in the medial line, which
is enlarged at its posterior part, and a very minute process in connexion with their inferior
margin; the colour of the branchial opercula is yellowish-brown.
The form o f the male is slighter, and its colour is darker than that of the female. The
cubital and radial joints of its palpi are short, the latter being very strong, and prominent at
its extremity, in front; the digital joint is somewhat oval, with a lobe on the outer side; it is
convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly
developed, complicated in structure, and of a dark red-brown colour.
The specific name of this spider has been changed from p u silla to tenuis, the former
appellation having been previously conferred on a small Swedish L inyphia by Professor
Sundevall (‘Yet. Acad. Handl./ 1829, p. 214.)
L inyphia tenuis is of frequent occurrence among grass and under stones, and is widely
distributed in England, Wales, and Scotland.
Linyphia terricola. PI. XVI, fig. 153.
Linyphia terricola, Koch, Die Arachn., Band xii, p. 125, tab. 425, fig. 1047, 1048.
I® Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. xi,
p. 118.
Length of the female, Jth of an inch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ith ;
breadth of the abdomen, £th ; length of an anterior leg, JJths ; length of a leg of the third
pair, gth.
The eyes are seated on black spots; the four intermediate ones form a trapezoid whose
anterior side is the shortest, and those of each lateral pair are placed obliquely on a small
tubercle, and are nearly contiguous; the posterior eyes of the trapezoid are rather the largest,
and the anterior ones, which are seated on a protuberance, are much the smallest of the eight.
The cephalo-thorax ;is oval, convex, glossy, with an indentation in the medial lin e ; the falces
are powerful, conical, armed with teeth on the inner surface, and slightly inclined towards
the sternum; the legs and palpi are long, slender, and provided with hairs and some fine,
erect spines; and the maxillae are straight, and have the exterior angle, at their extremity,
curvilinear. These parts are of a yellowish-brown colour, the legs being the palest, and the
falces/and maxilte having a tinge of red. The lip, which is semicircular, is prominent at the
apex; and the sternum is heart-shaped. Both these parts have a dark-brown hue. The
first pair of legs is the longest, the second pair slightly surpasses the fourth, and the third
pair is the shortest; each tarsus is terminated by three claws; the two superior ones are
curved and minutely pectinated, and the inferior one is inflected near its base. The abdomen
is. oviform, glossy, sparingly clothed with hairs, very convex above, projecting over the base
of the cephalo-thorax; the upper part is of a pale reddish-brown colour, freckled with
yellowish-white, more especially towards the sides, and has a series of curved, brownish-black,
angular lines extending along the middle, which have their convex sides towards each other,
and their vertices directed forwards; the sides and under part have a dark-brown hue, the
former being marked with a slightly curved, pale reddish-brown line, freckled with yellowish-
white; the colour of the branchial opercula is yellowish-white; that of the sexual organs is
red-brown, a longitudinal process, enlarged at its posterior extremity, being connected wit
their anterior margin, and a very minute one with their inferior margin.
The male is smaller, lighter coloured, and less distinctly marked than the female. Its
palpi have a yellowish-brown hue, the radial and digital joints being much the darkest; the
radial joint is larger than the cubital, and is most prominent at its extremity, in front; the
digital joint is short, somewhat oval, with a lobe on the outer side, broad at the extremity,
convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly
developed, prominent, complex in structure, with a few very short, projecting, black points
at their extremity, towards the outer side, and are of a red-brown colour.
This spider, which varies considerably in colour, hears a striking resemblance to L inyphia
tenuis; but the more slender form of the latter, the larger size of the anterior eyes of the