The eyes are seated on black spots ; the four intermediate ones describe a trapezoid
whose anterior side is the shortest, and those of each lateral pair are placed obliquely on a
tubercle and are nearly contiguous ; the anterior eyes of the trapezoid are seated on a small
protuberance, and are much the least of the eight. The cephalo-thorax is oval, convex,
glossy, with an indentation in th e . medial line ; the falces are powerful, conical, rather divergent
at the extremity, armed with teeth on the inner surface, and inclined towards the
sternum ; the legs are long and slender, and are provided with hairs and a few fine spines.
These parts, with the palpi, are of a pale yellowish-brown colour, the lateral margins of the
cephalo-thorax being darkish. The maxillæ are straight, with the exterior angle, at the
extremity, curvilinear ; the lip is semicircular and prominent at its apex ; and the sternum is
broad, convex, glossy, and heart-shaped. These parts have a dark-brown hue, the maxillæ
being the palest. The first pair of legs 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
slightly pectinated, and the inferior one is inflected near its base. The abdomen is oviform,
pointed at the spinners, thinly clothed with hairs, glossy, convex above, and projects over the
base of the cephalo-thorax ; the upper part is of a yellowish-brown colour, mottled with dull
white ; a narrow, dentated, black band extends along thé middle, whose continuity is frequently
interrupted, or broken into black spots, about one third of its length above the spinners, and
from these spots fine, oblique liues of the same hue pass to the sides, which, with the under
part, have a brown-black tint ; a yellowish-brown band, mottled with dull white, extends
along each side, and the two unite above the anus ; the sexual organs are highly developed
and very prominent; there is a process connected with their anterior margin which is
enlarged at its extremity and curved downwards, and a minute one occurs on the inferior
margin ; their colour is brown faintly tinged with red. Some individuals have the medial,
dentated banfl much more perfectly defined than others.
In their colours and in the design formed by them the sexes closely resemble each
other, but the male is rather smaller than the female, and the anterior part of its cephalo-
thorax, where the eyes are seated, is provided with porrect hairs. The humeral joint of its
palpi is moderately long ; the cubital joint is short, and has a long bristle projecting from its
extremity, in front; the radial, which is larger than the cubital joint, has a long bristle
projecting from its base, in front, and is gibbous underneath ; the digital joint is somewhat
oval, having two lobes on the outer side ; it is convex and hairy externally, concave within,
comprising the palpal organs; they are highly developed, prominent, complex with projecting
points and processes, one of the latter, situated near the middle, and another on the inner side,
which is slightly bifid at its extremity, being the most conspicuous ; their colour is red-brown.
Mr. R. H. Meade found specimens of this L inyphia in May, 1852, on the fronds of the
male shield-fern, in a wood near Bingley, and in the neighbourhood of Bradford, in
Yorkshire.
Lin y p h ia n a sa t a . PI. XVII, fig. 158.
JEobatus nasatus, Templeton, MS. History of Irish Arachnida.
Length of the female, ^th of an inch
The cephalo-thorax is obcordate or subtriangular, with a nasiform process in the middle
of the frontal margin, caused by a deep notch on each side of i t ; it is of a pale-brown colour,
the sides, which are suddenly depressed, having a darkish-green tint; underneath it has a
dark-brown hue. The abdomen is tumid, and of a pale yellowish-brown colour, with a row of
obsolete, brown maculae on each side of the medial line of the upper part; these maculae are
separated anteriorly by a lance-shaped, longitudinal, pale fascia ; the spinners are prominent.
The legs are long, slender, hairy, spiny, and of a pale-brown colour, with black tarsi.
In the grove at Cranmore this species is not uncommon.
L i n y p h i a e r i c .®a . PI. XVII, fig. 159.
Linyphia ericaa, Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. xi,
p. 22.
— — Blackw., Ibid., p. 119.
Length of the female, i th of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, Ath, breadth, .find;
breadth of the abdomen, ^th; length of an anterior leg, Jth; length of a leg of the third
pair, ^ths.
The eyes are seated on black spots; the four 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 almost contiguous; the anterior eyes of the trapezoid are seated on a
slight protuberance, and 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 conical, vertical, somewhat
divergent at the extremity, and armed with teeth on the inner surface ; the maxillae have
the exterior angle, at their extremity, curvilinear, and are slightly inclined towards the lip,
which is semicircular and prominent at the apex; the sternum is convex and heart-shaped;
and the legs and palpi, which are provided with hairs and fine spines, are long and slender.
These parts have a yellowish-brown colour, with the exception of the sternum and base of the
lip, which have a browner hue. 1 The first pair of legs is the longest, then the second pair,
which a little 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 abdomen is oviform, glossy, sparingly clothed with hairs,
pointed at the spinners, convex above, and projects over the base of the cephalo-thorax; it is
of a pale yellow-brown colour, with obscure spots of a deeper shade, the under part
being the darkest; the sexual organs are of a red-brown hue and have in connexion