clothed with hairs, convex above, and projects over the base of the cephalo-thorax; it is of a
yellowish-white colour, the under part being rather the darkest; a fine, brown band, which
tapers to the spinners, extends along the middle of the upper part; the anterior half of this
band is slightly ramified, and on each side of the posterior part there are three small, brown
spots, disposed in pairs; the anterior pair is more distant from the intermediate and posterior
pairs than these are from each other; on each side of the under part there is a faint, curved,
brown line, and these lines meet near the spinners ; the sexual organs are rather prominent,
of a dark, reddish-brown colour, and have a small, oval, brownish-yellow process connected
with their inferior margin.
The Rev. O. P. Cambridge captured an adult female of this species at Hursley, near
Winchester, in the summer of 1860.
Lin y p h ia pu l c h e l l a . -
Linyphia pulchella, Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. xviii, p. 301.
— Blackw., Ibid., second series, vol. ix, p. 19.
Length of the male, ^th of an inch; length of the 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 cephalo-thorax is slightly compressed and prominent before, rounded on the sides,
convex, glossy, with an indentation in the medial line, and is of a yellowish-brown colour.
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 almost contiguous; the
posterior eyes of the trapezoid are the largest, and the anterior ones are the smallest of the
eight. The falces are powerful, conical, armed with teeth on the inner surface, and inclined
towards the sternum, which is broad and heart-shaped; the maxillae are enlarged where the
palpi are inserted, the exterior angle, at their extremity, is curvilinear, and they are inclined
a little towards the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the apex. These parts have
a reddish-brown hue, the lip being the darkest. The legs are moderately long, provided
with hairs and slender spines, and have a yellowish-brown tin t; 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 palpi resemble the legs in colour; the cubital and radial joints are short, the latter being
much the stronger; the digital joint is oval, with a lobe on the outer side ; it is convex and
hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed,
very complicated in structure, and of a red-brown colour. The abdomen is oviform, glossy,
sparingly clothed with hairs, convex above, and projects over the base of the cephalo-thorax;
the upper part is of a yellowish-white colour, with a series of obscure, dark, angular lines,
whose vertices are directed forwards, extending along the middle, those on its anterior half
being the least conspicuous; the sides and under part have a pale, yellowish-brown tin t; the
branchial opercula are of a dark, yellowish-brown colour, and between them there is a prominent,
transverse fold. _ .
An adult male of this L inyphia was discovered among grass in a pasture at Oakland in
September, 1845.
Lin y p h ia f u k v a .
Linyphia furva, Blackw., Linn. Trans., vol. xviii, p. 663.
__ - -lili,*: Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix, p. 19.
Length of the female, jth of an inch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, Ath, breadth, Ath;
breadth of the abdomen, Ath; length of an anterior leg, Aths; length of a leg of the third
pair, 1th.
The cephalo-thorax is somewhat oval, slightly compressed before, rounded on the sides,
convex and glossy, with an indentation in the medial line; the falces are long, powerful,
conical, divergent at the extremity, armed with teeth on the inner surface, and inclined
towards the sternum, Which is broad and heart-shaped; the maxillae are strong, straight,
convex underneath, and somewhat quadrate, with the exterior angle, at the extremity, curvilinear;
the lip is semicircular and prominent at the apex. These parts have a very dark-
brown hue, approaching to black, the falces and maxillae being the palest. The legs and
palpi are long, slender, provided with hairs and erect spines, and of a yellowish-brown colour,
the latter being the darker. The first pair of legs is the longest, then the secondhand 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 four intermediate
eyes form a trapezoid whose anterior side is the shortest, and those of each lateral
pair are almost contiguous I the posterior eyes of the trapezoid are the largest, and the anterior
ones the smallest of the eight. The abdomen is oviform, convex above, projecting over
the base of the cephalo-thorax; it is thinly clothed with hairs, glossy, and of a brownish-black
colour; a small, prominent, cylindrical process is connected with the posterior margin of the
sexual organs; and the branchial opercula have a brown tint.
The male is rather smaller than the female, but it does not differ from her materially in
colohr. The cubital and radial joints of its palpi are short, the latter, which is much the
stronger, being produced on the inner side ; the digital joint is somewhat oval, with a prominent
lobe on the inner side, near its extremity; it is convex and hairy externally, concave
within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed, complicated in structure,
with two contiguous, black, spiral spines, enveloped in delicate membrane, at their extremity,
and are of a dark, reddish-brown colour.
In May, 1838, both sexes of this spider were detected under stones in a moist pasture
at Oakland.