are situated. The radial joint of its palpi is shorter than the cubital, and has three apophyses
at its extremity; one on the inner side, which is long, slender, curved, and pointed; a small
one in front, also curved and pointed; and a short, obtuse one underneath; the digital joint is
oval, 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.
In May, 1833, males of this remarkable spider, which had acquired their full development,
were discovered on rails and gates at Oakland, and both sexes have since been met with
in the same locality and at Crumpsall Hall.
N e r i ë n e b it u b e r cul a t a . PI. XVIII, fig . 1 8 2 .
Theridion bituberculatum, Wider, Museum Senckenb., Baud i, p. 222, taf. 15, fig. 2.
Argus bituberculatus, Walck., Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt., tom. ii, p. 363.
Length o f the male, ^th of an inch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^tb ;
breadth o f the abdomen, ^th ; length of a posterior leg, |th ; length of a leg of the third
pair, i^th.
The cephalo-thorax is oval, convex, glossy, depressed at the base, with an indentation in
the medial line, and the anterior part, which is elevated, is surmounted by two large, parallel,
conical protuberances, directed forwards, having a prominent ridge on each side of their base ;
it is of a reddish-yellow colour, the conical protuberances being much the palest, and the
narrow, lateral margins and ridge on each side of the protuberances having a brown hue.
The eyes are small, and disposed in two transverse rows on the anterior part of the cephalo-
thorax, immediately below the conical protuberances, but high above the frontal margin ; the
four intermediate ones form a trapezoid whose anterior side is the shortest, and those of each
lateral pair are seated obliquely on a minute tubercle, and are almost in contact; the anterior
eyes of the trapezoid are the smallest of the eight. The falces are conical, vertical, and armed
with a few teeth on the inner surface ; the maxillæ are enlarged at the base, where the palpi
are inserted, pointed at the extremity, and strongly inclined towards the lip ; the sternum is
broad, glossy, and heart-shaped; the legs are moderately long, and supplied with hairs; the
fourth pair is rather the longest, then the first, and the third pair is the shortest ; each tarsus
is terminated by three small claws ; the two superior ones are curved and slightly pectinated,
and the inferior one is inflected near its base. These parts are of a reddish-yellow colour.
The lip is semicircular, prominent at the apex, and has a dark-brown hue. The palpi are
robust, and resemble the legs in colour, with the exception of the digital joint, which has a
brown hue; the cubital joint is clavate; the radial joint is short, and projects from its
extremity three apophyses ; one, situated on the inner side, is long, slender, and curved outwards
; another, on the outer side, is strong and obtuse, and between these there is a small,
dark-coloured one, which terminates in two minute, diverging points ; the digital joint is oval,
convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly
developed, complex in structure, with a black, filiform spine, curved in a circular form, and
some prominent, whitish membrane at their extremity, and are of à red-brown colour. The
abdomen is oviform, thinly clothed with short hairs, convex above, projecting over the base of
the cephalo-thorax, and has a brownish-black hue, that of the branchial opercula being pale-
yellow.
The female resembles the male in colour, but is without the two large, corneal protuberances
on the anterior elevation of the cephalo-thorax.
Adult males of this species, which is very closely allied to Neriëne eorm ta, were taken by
the Eev. O. P. Cambridge at Bloxworth, in the spring of 1861.
M. Wider, in his description of Theridion bituberculatum, states that “ die Beine sind
ziemlich kurz und nicht sehr ungleioh, das dritte Paar am kiirzesten, dann folgt das vierte,
dann das erste und das zweite ist das lângste;” and M. Walckenaer, in treating upon the
structure of Argue bitubercutatus, remarks that “ les pattes sont peu allongées, la première
paire est la plus longue, ensuite la seconde, la troisième est la plus courte.” Now, as regards
the legs of Neriëne bitubercdata, the fourth pair is the longest, then the first, and the third
pair is the shortest; it is probable, however, that these discrepancies may he more apparent
than real, for, without measurement, it is difficult to ascertain the relative length of the
limbs of spiders, especially when they do not differ greatly in longitudinal extent; and this
difficulty is chiefly occasioned by the unequal breadth of the cephalo-thorax, to which they
are articulated.
N e r i e n e apicata. PI. XVIII, fig. 183.
NeriUe apicata, Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. vi,
p. 339.
__ Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix,
p. 869.
Length of the male, i th of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ith , breadth, Ath;
breadth o f the abdomen, ^th; length of a posterior leg, #,ths; length of a leg of the third
pair, gth. .
The legs are provided with hairs, and are of a reddish-brown colour, the femora being the
reddest; the posterior is longer than the anterior pair, 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 cephalo-thorax is oval, convex, glossy,
with an indentation in the medial lin e ; an obtuse, conical prominence, surmounted by a tuft
of short hairs, occurs immediately behind the eyes, near the base of which, on each side, there
is a small cavity; the falces are conical, vertical, somewhat divergent at the extremity, and
armed with teeth on the inner surface; the maxillae are enlarged where the palpi are inserted,
obliquely truncated at the extremity, on the outer side, and inclined towards the lip, which is
semicircular and prominent at the apex; the sternum is broad, convex, glossy, and heart-
shaped. These parts have a very dark, reddish-brown hue. The anterior eyes of the four
intermediate ones forming the trapezoid are the smallest of the eight. The palpi resemble the