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 tubercle,
and are nearly contiguous; the anterior eyes of the trapezoid are the smallest of the eight.
The legs are long, slender, provided with hairs and spines, and of a red colour; the first pair
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 minutely 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 has a dark-brown tin t; the radial joint is stronger than
the cubital, and has some long hairs in front; the digital joint is somewhat oval, with a large
lobe on the outer side, near its base; it is convex and hairy externally, concave within,
comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed, complicated in structure, with a
broad, compressed, curved process projecting nearly at right angles from their base, on the
outer side, and are of a dark, reddish-brown colour. The abdomen is oviform, very sparingly
supplied with short hairs, convex above, projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax; it is
of a yellowish-brown colour on the upper part and sides, a series of black, angular lines,
whose indistinct vertices are directed forwards, extending along the middle of the former;
the extremities of the anterior lines of the series are much the most strongly marked, and a
small, yellowish-white spot occurs immediately above the spinners; the under part is of a pale
brown colour.
Mr. T. Walker took this species in May, 1850, among juniper bushes at Southgate.
Lin y p h ia n ig e l l a .
Linyphia nigella, Blackw., Lond. and Edinb. Phil. Mag., third series,- vol. viii,
p. 487.
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix,
p. 18.
Length of the male, gth, of an inch; length of cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^th;
breadth of the abdomen, ^ th; length of an anterior leg, ^ths; length of a leg of the third
pair, gth.
The four intermediate eyes forma trapezoid whose anterior side is th e ' shortest, and
those of each lateral pair are seated obliquely on a small tubercle, and are contiguous; the
posterior eyes of the trapezoid are the largest, and the anterior ones are much the smallest of
the eight. The cephalo-thorax is oval, convex, glossy, with an indentation in the medial line,
and is of a dark-brown colour, approaching to black. The falces are long, powerful, armed
with teeth on the inner surface, divergent at the extremity, of a deep-brown colour tinged
with red, and incline towards the sternum, which is heart-shaped, and of a brownish-black
hue. The maxillae are strong, and have the exterior angle, at their extremity, curvilinear;
they resemble the falces in colour, and incline a little towards the lip, which is semicircular,
prominent at the apex, and has a brownish-black tint. The legs are long, slender, provided
with hairs and a few spines, and of; a pale yellowish-brown hue, the thighs having a tinge of
red; the first pair 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 pectinated, and
the inferior one is’inflected near its base. The cubital and radial joints of the palpi are.short,
the latter, which is much the stronger, being produced at the extremity, on the inner side ;
the digitaljoint has an irregular oval form; it isconvexand hairy externally, concave within,
comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed, complicated in structure, with a
small projection at the upper part, in front, and a large spine which originates at the upper
part and extends to the termination of the joint, where it ‘is: curved into a circular form, the
extremity projecting a little; the colour of these.organs is dark, reddish-brown. The convex
sides of the digital joints are directed towards eacEpthSri The abdomen is oviform, convex
above, and projects 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 pale, yellowish-
brown. Some individuals have a series ;lf . obscure, angular lines of a yeilpwish-hrown
colour, whose vertices are directed forwards, extending along the middle of the upper part.
Specimens of Linyphia nigella were found under fragments of rock in woods at Oakland
in S ep tem b il 1835; they were all males, and had the palpal organs completely developed.
Lin y p h ia a l b u l a . PI. XVII, fig. 161.
Linyphia albula, Camb., Annals and Mag, of Nat. Hist., third series, vol. vii, p. 435.
Length of the female, }th of an inch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, Kth ;
breadth of the abdomen, # h ; length of an anterior leg, ibths ; length of a leg of the third
pair, Jth. ■
The cephalo-thorax is oval, convex, glossy, and of a pale, brownish-yellow colour, with
several obscure, brownish _ lines in the cephalic region, which meet in an angle at a small
indentation in the medial line, and'iobscure rays of the same hue on the sides, which converge
towards the same point. The eyes are small, and are seated on black spots on the anterior
part of the cephalo-thorax ; the four intermediate ones form a trapezoid whose shortest side
is before ; the eyes of each lateral pair are placed obliquely oh a small tubercle, and are contiguous,
and the anterior eyes of the trapezoid are the smallest of the eight. The falces are
powerful, conical, armed with a few teeth on the inner surface, and somewhat inclined
towards the sternum ; and the maxillae are strong, straight, and have the exterior angle, at
the extremity, curvilinear. These' Organs have a deeper tinge of brown than the cephalo-
thorax. The lip is semicircular and prominent at the apex ; and the sternum is heart-shaped.
The colour of these parts, is brown, the lip and margins of the sternum being the darkest.
The legs are long, slender, provided with hairs and a few fine spines, and are of a pale,
brownish-yellow hue, the femora being much the palest ; the first pair 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 minutely pectinated, and the inferior one is inflected near
its base. The palpi resemble the legs in colohr. The abdomen is slender, oviform, thinly