the medial line; the falces are powerful, conical, convex in front, near the base, armed with
teeth on the inner surface, and inclined towards the sternum, which is heart-shaped; the
maxilla* are strong, and inclined towards, the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the
apex. These parts are of a brown colour, the sternum being the palest, and the falces,
maxillae, and lip having a tinge of red. The legs are long, provided with hairs and a few fine
spines, and of a pale red-brown h u e ; 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 resemble the legs in colour. The
abdomen is oviform, rather convex above, and projects over the base of the cephalo-thorax;
it is thinly clothed with hairs, glossy, and of a brownish colour faintly tinged with green, and
has a series of obscure, angular lines of a pale yellowish-brown hue, whose vertices are
directed forwards, extending along the middle of the upper part; the sexual organs have a
dark red-brown tin t; and the colour of the branchial opercula is dull yellowish-brown.
The male is rather smaller than the female, but it resembles her in colour. The cubital
and radial joints of its palpi are short, the latter being much the stronger; the digital joint is
somewhat oval, with a large lobe on the outer side, near the upper part; it is convex and
hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed,
complicated in structure, with several curved, pointed, prominent processes at the extremity,
one or two of which are enveloped in delicate membrane, and are of a red-brown colour.
Neriene errans is not uncommon among grass and on rails in North Wales and in the
south of Lancashire.
N e r ie n e sylvat ica.
Neriene sylvatica, Blackw., Linn. Trans., vol. xviii, p. 644.
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix, p. 21.
Length of the male, gth of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^ th;
breadth of the abdomen, ^ th; length of an anterior leg, 3th; length of a leg of the third
pair, yth.
The eyes are seated on black spots. The cephalo-thorax is oval, slightly convex, glossy,
rather prominent before, where the eyes are situated, and marked with furrows on the sides
converging towards a large indentation in the medial line; the falces are moderately strong,
conical, provided with a few teeth on the inner surface, and a longitudinal row of exceedingly
short, fine spines in front, near the outer side; they are inclined towards the sternum, which
is broad and heart-shaped; the maxillse are very gibbous near the base, and incline towards
the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the apex; the legs are slender, and provided
with hairs and fine, erect spines. These parts are of a brown h u e ; the legs, which are the
palest, and the falces, maxillae, and lip, which are the darkest, have a tinge of red. The
anterior and posterior pairs of legs 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 resemble the legs in colour ; the cubital and radial joints are short ; the
former has a long bristle at its extremity in front, and the latter, which is the stronger, is
gibbous underneath at the base ; the digital joint is somewhat oval, with a bold, conical protuberance
at the upper part in front, and a prominent lobe on the outer side ; it is convex
and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed
and complicated in structure; a strong, curved, obtuse process, slightly serrated on its
exterior edge, is situated on the outer side of the upper part ; another curved process, whose
point is enveloped in membrane, extends from the upper part to the extremity of the joint,
and within its curvature a small, dentated spine occurs; these organs are of a red-brown
colour. 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 ; and the colour
of the branchial opercula is pale-yellow.
Adult males of this species were taken in February, 1837, under detached pieces of rock,
slightly imbedded in earth, in woods about Llanrwst.
Neriene viaria. PI. XVIII, fig. 171.
Neriene viaria, Blackw., Linn. Trans., vol. xviii, p. 645.
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of N at. Hist., second series, vol. ix, p. 21.
Argus viarius, Walck., Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt., t. iv, p. 512.
Length of the male, ^th of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, 55th, breadth, s*th;
breadth of the abdomen, ^ th ; length of an anterior leg, ^ths ; length of a leg of the third
pair, gth.
The anterior eyes of the four intermediate ones forming the trapezoid are much the
smallest of the eight. The cephalo-thorax is oval, moderately convex, glossy, with slight
furrows on the sides, converging towards an indentation in the medial lin e ; the falces are
powerful, conical, armed with teeth on the inner surface, rather divergent at the extremity,
and inclined towards the sternum, which is broad, convex, and heart-shaped; the maxillse are
inclined towards the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the apex; the legs are
provided with hairs and a few slender 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. These parts are of a brown colour,
the margins of the cephalo-thorax and the lip being the darkest, and the legs and maxillse
the palest. The palpi resemble the legs in colour; the cubital and radial joints are short;
the former, which is the stronger, has some long hairs at its extremity in front, and the latter
is gibbous underneath at the b a se ; the digital joint is somewhat oval, with a large lobe on
the outer side; it is convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal
organs, which are highly developed, complicated in structure, very prominent, and of a
reddish-brown colour. The abdomen is oviform, convex above, projecting over the base of
the cephalo-thorax; it is thinly clothed with hairs, glossy, and of a dark-brown hue,
approaching to black; and the colour of the branchial opercula is pale, yellowish-brown.