breadth of the abdomen, Ath ; length of a posterior leg, Jth ; length of a leg of the third
pair, gth.
The eyes are seated on black spots, the two anterior ones o f the four forming the trapezoid,
which are near to each othpr, béing the smallest and darkest of the eight. The céphalothorax
is oval, convex, glossy, with slight furrows on the sides, which converge towards an
indentation in the medial line; the-falces are powerful, conical, vertical, and armed with a few
teeth on the inner surface ; the maxillæ are enlarged at the extremity, and inclined towards
the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the apex ; the sternum is broad, heart-shaped,
convex, and glossy ; the legs, which are moderately long, are provided with hairs and a few fine
spines ; the fourth pair is slightly longer than the first, which surpasses 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. These parts are of a
pale, yellow-brown colour, the falces, maxillæ, and lip having a faint tinge o f red. The palpi
resemble the legs in colour; the cubital and radial joints are short, the latter, which is the
stronger, being somewhat produced at its extremity, in front ; the digital joint is oval, with a
small, conical process at its base, and a lobe near the middle of its outer side ; it is convex
and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed,
complicated in structure, with a prominent, curved, scalelike process at the base, on
the outer side, and are of a brownish-red colour. The abdomen is oviform, convex above,
projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax ; it is thinly clothed with hairs, glossy, and o f a
dark, yellowish-brown colour, the branchial opercula and spinners being much the palest.
This spider, which was found on Ingleborough, a mountain in Yorkshire, in September,
1855, was received from Mr. R. H . Meade.
Neriene longipalpis. PL XIX, fig. 188.
Neriene longipalpis, Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix,
p. 270.
Linyphia — Sund., Yet. Acad. Handl., 1829, p. 212.
— — Sund., Yet. Acad. Handl., 1832, p. 259.
Erigone atra, Blackw., Loud, and Edinb. Phil. Mag., third series, vol. iii, p. 195.
— — Blackw., Research, in Zool., p. 324.
— dentipalpis, Koch, Die Arachn., Band viii, p. 90, tab. 278, figs. 659, 660.
Argus longimanns, Walck., Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt., tom. ii, p. 346.
Length of the female, gth of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, '^th ;
breadth of the abdomen, ^ th ; length of a posterior leg, gth; length of a leg of the third
pair, gth.
The legs have a reddish-brown hue; the posterior pair is the longest, then the anterior
pair, 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 Tegs in colour. The cephalo-thorax is glossy, very prominent and convex
where the eyes are seated, compressed before, rounded on the sides, and indented in the medial
lin e ; the falces are powerful, rather convex in front, and have a longitudinal row of small
spines towards the outer side; they are armed with strong teeth on the inner surface, and are
slightly inclined towards the sternum, which is heart-shaped; the maxillae are greatly enlarged
.where the palpi are inserted, and encompass the lip, which..«: semicircular and prominent at
the apex; the four intermediate eyes nearly form a square; the abdomen is oviform, glossy,
convex above, projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax, and is sparingly clothed with
short hairs. ■ These parts have a black hue, with the exception of the branchial opercula,
which have a yellow tint.
The male differs from the female in several remarkable particulars: it is smaller; the
lateral margins of the cephalo-thorax are strongly dentated; and a series of short, sharp
spines,, slightly curved forwards, occupies the medial line of its anterior convexity. The relative
length of its legs also is dissimilar, the anterior being longer than the posterior pair,
and these organs, with the palpi, are much redder than those of the female. The humeral
joint of the palpi is greatly elongated, much curved, and armed with strong spines underneath;
the cubital and radial joints are dilated at their extremities; the former has a large, conical
process on its under side, and the latter is terminated by two>pophyses; one, which is short
and broad, projects in front, and the other, which is more elongated and acute, is. situated
underneath; the digital joint is of an oblong, oval form; it is convex and hairy externally, concave
within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed, and of a very dark,
red-brown colour.
This species is widely distributed in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, and is
remarkable for its ascents into the atmosphere, as well as for the extraordinary organization
of the cephalo-thorax and its appendages in the male. The sexes pair in June, and the female
deposits six or seven spherical eggs of a pale, yellowish-white colour in a subglobose cocoon of
white silk of a slight texture, which measures about Ath of an inch in diameter, and is usually
attached to the inferior surface of stones.
It is a fact deserving of notice, that Neriene longipalpis can preserve an active state of
existence for some days when submerged in water.
The Theridion dentipalpe of M. Wider (Museum Senckenbergianum, B. 1, p. 248, taf. 17,
fig. 1) is not included among the synonyma of this spider, because it appears to differ from it
in structure and colour; on the latter particular, however, little stress can be laid, as the
specimens collected by M. Wider were preserved in spirit of wine.
Neriene fusca. PI. XIX, fig. 189-
Neriene fusca, Blackw., Kesearch. in Zool., p. 882.
__; _ Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series,, vol. ix, p. 270.