is fringed with long hairs on the outer side; the digital joint is oval, convex and hairy
externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs; these organs are highly developed,
complicated in structure, with a prominent, curved, scale-like process on the inner side,
which terminates in a point directed obliquely downwards and outwards, and a spiral spine
at their extremity, at whose base there is an expanded, projecting, transparent membrane,
slightly fringed at its margin; they are of a brownish-black colour. The legs of old males
are frequently of a red hue, without annuli.
This species constructs snares, similar in design to those of the IAnypMa, among grass
growing in and near woods in Lancashire, Denbighshire, and Berwickshire. It has also
been met with in Devonshire by Miss Ellen Clayton, and Mr. R. H. Meade has captured it in
Yorkshire. The sexes arrive at maturity in autumn, and are sometimes abundant in localities
suited to their habits. If this spider be compared with Linyphia marginata it will immediately
be seen how easy the transition is from the genus Linyphia to that of Neriene.
N e r i e n e b i c o l o r . PI. XVII, fig . 1 6 8 .
Neriene bicolor, Blackw., Lond. and Edinb. Phil. Mag., third series, vol. iii, p. 344.
— — Blackw., Research, in Zool., p. 366.
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of N at. Hist., second series, vol. ix, p. 20.
Length of the female, 3th of an inch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^th ;
breadth of the abdomen, ^th ; length of an anterior leg, ,th ; length of a leg of the third
pair, 3th.
The cephalo-thorax is convex, glossy, compressed before and rounded on the sides, with
an indentation in the medial line ; the falces are robust, conical, vertical, and armed with teeth
on the inner surface ; the maxillae are enlarged at the extremity, and slightly inclined towards
the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the apex ; the sternum is heart-shaped ; the
legs are provided with erect spines, and the anterior and posterior pairs are equal in length ;
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 have a curved claw at their extremity.
These parts have a red-brown colour, the sternum, lip, maxillæ, and margins of the cephalo-
thorax being the darkest, and the eyes are seated on black spots. 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 hue.
The sexes are similar in colour, but the male is rather smaller than the female, and has
some slender bristles, curved forwards, on the anterior part of the cephalo-thorax. The
cubital and radial joints of its palpi are short ; the former has a fine bristle at its extremity, in
front, and the latter, which is the stronger, has a small protuberance on the outer side of the
upper part fringed with long bristles ; the digital joint is somewhat oval, with a large,
obtuse process at its base, and a prominent lobe on its outer side ; it is convex and hairy
externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed,
complicated in structure, with a crescent-shaped process at the upper part, on the outer side,
a small, bifid one at the extremity, and are of a dark red-brown colour.
Neriene bicolor is common in many parts of England, Wales, and Scotland. It appears
to prefer well-wooded districts, constructing among grass a snare similar to that of Neriene
marginata. Not unfrequently it may be found on rails, or concealed under stones partially
imbedded in earth. The male has the palpal organs developed in autumn.
N e r ie n e r u f i p e s .
Neriene rufipes, Blackw., Lond. and Edinb. Phil. Mag.; third series, vol. iii, p. 34o.
— -— Blackw., Research, in Zool., p. 368.
__ _ Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix, .
p. 20.
Length of the female, ^ths of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^th;
breadth of the abdomen, ^ th; length of an anterior leg, |t h ; length of a leg of the third
pair, 5th.
The cephalo-thorax is oval, convex, glossy, somewhat depressed and rounded before,
and has a small indentation in the medial lin e ; the falces are powerful, conical, provided
with teeth on the inner surface, and slightly inclined towards the sternum, which is heart-
shaped; the maxillae are enlarged at the extremity, and inclined towards the lip, which is
semicircular and prominent at the apex; the legs are provided with hairs and a few spines,
and the anterior and posterior pairs are equal in length ; 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 have a curved claw at their extremity. These parts are of a light
red-brown colour, the falces, sternum, lip, and maxillse being the darkest, and the eyes are
seated on black spots. The abdomen is oviform, moderately convex above, projecting over
the base of the cephalo-thorax; it is thinly clothed with hairs, glossy, and of a brownish-
black h u e ;. and the branchial opercula, which are large, have a yellowish-white tint.
The sexes are similar in colour, but the male is rather the smaller. The humeral joint
of its palpi is enlarged at the extremity; the cubital and radial joints are short; the former,
which is the larger, has a few long bristles at its extremity, in front, and the latter has an
obtuse process on the under side of the upper part; the digital joint is oval, with a small
protuberance at its base, on the inner sid e; it is convex and hairy externally, concave within,
comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed, complex with spine-like processes,
and of a dark red-brown colour.
Specimens of this spider were obtained in 1832, under stones and on rails in the township
of Crurtipsall. In June the female fabricates several globular cocoons of yellowish-white
silk of a slight texture, which she attaches to the inferior surface of stones; the largest of
them measures 5th of an inch in diameter, and contains about fifty spherical eggs of a
yellowish-white colour, not adherent among themselves.