legs in colour, but are rather paler; the humeral joint is somewhat curved towards the céphalothorax
; the cubital joint is clavate, and the radial, which is short, has two curved, pointed,
black apophyses at its extremity, in front, the superior one being the larger and more prominent
; the digital joint is oval, convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the
palpal organs, which are moderately developed, complicated in structure, and o f a reddish-
brown colour. The abdomen^is oviform, sparingly clothed with hairs, convex above, projecting
over the base o f the cephalo-thorax, and has a brownish-black hue; that of the branchial
opercula being brown.
A male o f Neriene apicata, having the palpal organs completely developed, was taken on
a rail at Oakland, in February, 1850, and in the autumn of 1853 a specimen of the same sex
was received from the Rev. Hamlet Clark.
N e r i e n e rubens. PI. XVIII, fig . 1 8 4 .
Neriene rubens, Blackw., Lond. and Edin. Phil. Mag., third series, vol.'iii, p. 189.
— '‘PH- ®la°kw., Research, in Zool., p. 370.
Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix,
p. 269.
Theridion cheliferum, Wider, Museum Senckenb., Band i, p. 237, taf. 16, fig. 4.
Argus cheltferus, Walck., Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt., tom. ii, p. 364.
Length of the female, |th of an in ch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^th ;
breadth of the abdomen, ^ th ; length of an anterior leg, gth; length o f a leg of the third
pair, |th.
The eyes are seated on black spots. The cephalo-thorax is compressed and abruptly
elevated before, rounded on the sides, slightly convex, and glossy, with an indentation in the
medial lin e ; the falces are powerful, conical, armed with strong teeth on the inner surface,
and inclined towards the sternum, which is heart-shaped; the maxillae are moderately 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 are abundantly supplied with
black spines, one, longer than the rest, projecting from the extremity of the cubital joint, in front.
These parts are of a yellowish-red colour. The abdomen is oviform, somewhat convex above,
projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax; it is thinly clothed "with hairs, glossy, and of a
red-brown hue, which varies in intensity in different individuals; the colour of the sexual
organs is black, tinged with red; and that o f the branchial opercula is pale-orange.
The male is rather smaller than the female, and the tibiae o f the first and second pairs of
legs are dilated at the extremity, underneath, which enlargements are amply provided with fine,
long hairs. The humeral joint of the palpi is very robust, increasing gradually in diameter
from its base to its extremity, which is armed with a strong spur and numerous minute,
pointed, black spines on the upper part; the cubital joint is short and strong; the radial joint
has two apophyses; one, on the inner side, which tapers to its extremity, is curved obliquely,
across the upper part of the digital joint, and has a strong, pointed process near its base; the
other, situated on the outer side, is much shorter and more obtuse; the digital joint is oval,
convex, and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs; these organs have
several curved, spinelike processes, and are of a red-brown colour.
The palpi of the male of this species, which is found among heath and grass in Denbighshire,
Yorkshire, Berwickshire, and the south of Lancashire, are very peculiar in structure;
M. Wider has well remarked that “ sie haben viel Aehnlichkeit mit der Scheere der Krebse,
nurdass ein eigentlicher Daumen fehlt.” (Museum Senckenbergianum, B. 1, p. 238.)
N e r i e n e nigra. PI. XVIII, fig. 185.
Neriene nigra, Blackw., Research, in Zool., p. 378.
__ __ Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix, p. 269.
Length of the female, i fh of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^rd;
breadth of the abdomen, i t h ; " length of an anterior le g ,ith ; length of a leg of the third
pair, ^th.
The anterior eyes of the four intermediate ones forming the trapezoid are very minute
and near to each other. The cephalo-thorax is convex, glossy, prominent where the eyes are
seated, somewhat compressed before, and rounded on the sides, which are marked with slight
furrows converging towards an indentation in the medial lin e ; the falces are strong, conical,
armed 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. These parts are of a brownish-black colour, the
faices and maxillm having a faint tinge of red. The legs, which are provided with hairs and a
few fine spines, have a red-brown tint, and the anterior and posterior pairs are equal m length;
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 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 h u e ; that of the branchial opercula
being brown. .
The legs of the male are redder than those of the female, and the prominence at the
anterior part of its cephalo-thorax is surmounted by numerous very short hairs. Its palpi are
long, and the extremities of the humeral joints almost touch when in a state of repose; the
cubital joint is long and clavate ; the radial joint is strong, and is elongated into a narrow,
oval process, which extends in front of the digital joint, and is terminated by a corneous point
curved outwards; the digital joint is oval, convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising
the palpal organs, which are highly developed, complex with spinelike processes, one
on the outer side being curved in a circular form, and are of a dark, red-brown colour.
Males and females of Neriene nigra were obtained in the autumn of 1833 on posts and
36