breadth of the abdomen, ^th; length of an anterior leg. fth; length of a leg of the third
pair, gth.
The eyes of the lateral pairs are the largest, and the two anterior ones of the four forming
the trapezoid are much the smallest of the eight. The cephalo-thorax is oval, convex, glossy,
prominent before, with numerous strongly marked punctures on the margins, from which rows
of punctures converge towards an indentation in the medial line; the falce-s are moderately
strong, conical, armed with a few teeth on the inner surface, and inclined towards the sternum,
which is broad, heart-shaped, and thickly marked with punctures; the maxilke incline towards
the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the apex. These parts are of a very dark-
brown colour, the falces and maxillae having a tinge o f red. The legs and palpi are slender,
provided with hairs, and of a red colour. 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
abdomen is oviform, convex above, projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax; it is
sparingly clothed with hairs, glossy, and has a black hue ; the sexual organs are rather prominent,
and of a reddish-brown colour; that of the branchial opercula being dull-yellow.
The male is smaller than the female, but it resembles her in colour. Each falx has two
contiguous, acute, toothlike processes near its extremity, towards the inner side. The radial
joint of the palpi is stronger than the cubital joint, and projects two pointed apophyses from
its extremity, in front, the superior one being much the more prominent; the digital joint has
a short oval form; it is convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal
organs, which are moderately developed, not very complex in structure, rather prominent, and
of a red-brown colour. The anterior parf of the cephalo-thorax is prominent, with an oblong
indentation directed backwards from each lateral pair of eyes.
M. Walckenaer, in disposing of Walckenaera punctata as a synonym of Argus trapezoides,
refers to his ‘ Hist. Nat. des Insect. A p t/ tom. ii, p. 353, for an account of the latter; but
as no species bearing that name appears to be included in the volume, it must suffice to direct
attention to the error.
Females of this spider were taken in May, 1838, under stones in a moist pasture near
Llanrwst; and, in the summer of 1854, Mr. R. H. Meade captured an individual of the same
sex at Hornsea, near the east coast of Yorkshire. An adult male has since been found under
a stone in a wood near Hendre House.
Walckenaera parallela. PL XX, fig. 211.
Theridion parallelum, Wider, Museum Senckenb., Band i, p. 234, taf. 16, fig. 1.
Argus parallelus, Walck., Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt.,'tom. ii, p. 366.
Length of the female, ^th of an in ch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, 3’5th, breadth, ^th ;
breadth of the abdomen, ^ th ; length of a posterior leg, ^ th ; length of a leg of the third
pair, ^th.
The cephalo-thorax is oval, convex, glossy, depressed at the base, prominent in the
cephalic region, and marked with numerous minute punctures, forming rows which converge
from the lateral margins towards the middle; the falces are small, conical, and vertical; the
maxillae are strongly inclined towards the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the apex ;
and the sternum is broad, heart-shaped, convex, glossy, and marked with minute punctures,
particularly on the sides. These parts are of a dark-brown colour, the falces and maxillae
being the palest. The legs are provided with hairs, and have a yellow-red hue; the fourth
pair is the longest, then the first, 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 palpi are short, and somewhat paler than the legs. The eyes,
which are nearly equal in size, are disposed on the anterior part of the cephalo-thorax, high
above the frontal margin; the four intermediate ones form an elongated trapezoid, the two
anterior ones, constituting its shortest side, being rather the smallest of the eigh t; and those
of each lateral pair are seated obliquely on a small tubercle, and are almost in contact. The
abdomen is oviform, somewhat pointed at the spinners, convex above, projecting over the base
of the cephalo-thorax; it is thinly clothed with short hairs, marked with numerous minute
punctures, and has four conspicuous, indented spots disposed in pairs on the upper part, of
which the two posterior ones are the largest and widest apart; its colour is brown-black, and
that of the branchial opercula is dark-brown.
The sexes resemble each other in colour, but the male, which is the smaller, has the
cephalic region much more prominent than the female; it has a narrow indentation directed
backwards from each lateral pair of eyes, and is divided into two lobes by a transverse furrow
in front; the posterior intermediate eyes are seated transversely on the superior lobe, and the
other six on the inferior lobe, a marked protuberance occurring between the anterior intermediate
pair and the frontal margin. The palpi are of a brown colour; the cubital is larger
than the radial joint, and the latter projects a long, straight, pointed apophysis from its
extremity, in front, and a minute one on the outer sid e; the digital joint is oval, convex and
hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are moderately developed,
rather prominent, complex in structure, with a curved, filiform spine, and some delicate
membrane at their extremity, and are of a dark-brown colour.
Adult individuals of both sexes of this species were taken in Portland, by the Rev. 0 . P.
Cambridge, in the autumn of 1859.
Walckenaera obscura. PI. XX, fig. 212.
Walckenaera obscura, Blackw., Research, in Zool., p. 321.
__ — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. ix,
p. 274.