Length of the female, ,th of an inch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^th ;
breadth of the abdomen, Tgth ; length of a posterior leg, fths ; length of a leg of the third
pair, reths.
The eyes are seated on black spots, the anterior ones of the four forming the trapezoid,
which are placed on a slight protuberance, being the smallest of the eight. The cephalo-
thorax is convex, glossy, compressed before, and rounded on the sides, which are marked
with furrows converging towards a large indentation in the medial line ; it is of a yellowish-
brown colour, with narrow, black margins, and a band of the same hue extending along the
middle. The falces are powerful, conical, vertical, gibbous in front, near the base, armed with
teeth on the inner surface, and of a red-brown hue. The maxillæ are short, strong, enlarged
at the extremity, inclined towards the lip, and have a pale, red-brown tint. The lip is semicircular
and of a reddish-brown colour, the apex, which is prominent, being the palest. The
sternum is heart-shaped, with slight prominences on the sides, opposite to the articulation of
the legs, and its colour is yellowish-brown. The legs, which are moderately robust, are provided
with hairs and black spines ; they are of a yellowish-brown hue, with brownish-black
annuli, and the posterior is rather longer than the anterior pair ; 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, and have a curved, pectinated claw at
their extremity. The abdomen is oviform, glossy, thinly clothed with short hairs, convex
above, projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax ; the upper part is of a yellowish-white or
pinkish hue, intersected by numerous fine, dark-brown lines, which give it a reticulated
appearance ; along the middle there extends a fine, dark-brown band, which is somewhat ramified
and tapers to its posterior extremity ; on each side of this band there is a series of obscure,
irregular, dark-brown spots, confluent or nearly so, which form two bands converging to the
spinners ; the under part is of a dark-brown colour, with a few yellowish spots ; the sexual
organs have a dark, reddish-brown hue ; that of the spinners is red-brown ; and the branchial
opercula are of a yellow colour, with red-brown lips.
The male bears a close resemblance to the female, but it is smaller and rather lighter
coloured. The metatarsal joint of its anterior pair of legs, which is enlarged, is depressed on
the upper part, and provided with numerous hairs underneath. The cubital joint of the palpi
is clavate, and has a long, black bristle connected with its extremity, in front; it is larger than
the radial joint, which has several long, black bristles on its under and inner sides, and a
conical apophysis underneath, near the extremity, projecting from it at right angles, and
having an enlargement near its base, on the outer side ; the digital joint has somewhat of an
elongated oval form, with three obtuse processes near the outer side of the base, the middle
one being the most prominent ; it is convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising
the palpal organs, which are highly developed, prominent, complicated in structure, with a
large, obtuse process at their base, which is curved outwards, and extends nearly to the articulation
of the cubital with the radial joint, and several short, curved, pointed ones at the
extremity ; they are of a dark, reddish-brown colour. The convex sides of the digital joints
are directed towards each other.
Neriëne triïin ea ta is not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Manchester, where it conceals
itself under stones. Mr. R. H. Meade has met with it in Yorkshire, and Mr. J. Hardy
has taken it in Berwickshire.
Probably the spider named Neriëne graminicolens in the ‘ Transactions of the Linnean
Society,’ vol. xix, p. 125, is a variety of this species, from which it differs chiefly in not having
dark annuli on the legs and palpi.
The contraction and expansion of the dorsal vessel are very apparent in Neriëne gram inicolens,
which occurs among grass and coarse herbage in pastures at Oakland, and seems to
be identical with the L inyphia cellulana of Professor Sundevall (Yet. Acad. Handl., 1831,
p. 108).
Neriene rubella. PI. XIX, fig. 194.
Neriene rubella, Blackw., Linn. Trans., vol. xviii, p. 648.
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix,
p. 271.
Micryphantes isabellinus, Koch, Die Arachn., Bandviii, p. 109, tab. 282, figs. 676-678.
Length of the female, ^th of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^ th ;
breadth of the abdomen, ^ th ; length of an anterior leg, ^ths; length of a leg of the third
pair, jth.
The first and fourth pairs of legs, which are the longest, are equal in length, 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 cephalo-thorax is
convex, glossy, compressed and rather prominent before, rounded on the sides, and has an
indentation in the medial lin e ; the falces are powerful, conical, armed with teeth on the inner
surface, and inclined towards the sternum, which is broad, convex, and heart-shaped. These
parts, with the maxillae and palpi, are of a yellowish-red colour, the legs and palpi being the
palest, and the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the apex, has a red-brown tint.
The eyes are seated on black spots, and the anterior ones of the four forming the trapezoid are
much the smallest of the eight. The abdomen is oviform, glossy, thinly clothed with hairs,
convex above, projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax, and has a yellowish-red tint,
which varies greatly in intensity in different individuals; the hue of the sexual organs is black,
faintly tinged with r ed; and that of the branchial opercula is dull-yellow.
The male resembles the female in colour, but the anterior part of its cephalo-thorax, where
the eyes are seated, is more prominent, and the relative length of its legs is different, the first
pair being the longest, and the second and fourth pairs equal in length; the tibiae also of the
first and second pairs are somewhat dilated underneath, near their extremity, and these enlargements
are thickly clothed with long, fine hairs. The palpi are of a yellowish-red colour, with
the exception of the radial and digital joints, which have a reddish-brown h u e ; the cubital
joint is remarkably large, very protuberant on the inner side, and provided with an acute
apophysis in front, near the outer side; the radial joint is crescent-shaped, the lower and much
the longer limb of the crescent being turned outwards, in front of the digital joint, which is
oval, convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs ; these organs