E peira sol er s. PI. XXIV, fig. 243.
Epeira solers, Walck., Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt., tom. ii, p. 41.
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. x, p. 182.
— agalena, Hahn, Die Arachn., Band ii, p. 29, tab. 47, figl 115.
—* — Blackw., Linn. Trans., vol. six, p. 1 2 6 .:
Atea sclopetaria, Koch, Uebers. des Arachn. Syst., erstes 'Heft, p. 4.
— — Koch, Die Arachn., Band xi, p. 134, tab. 390, figs. 934, 935.
Length of the female, ^ th s o fa n inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, jth,J breadth, |th ;
breadth of the abdomen,1 jth ; length of an anterior leg, &ths; length of a leg of the third
pair, Jth.
The legs are robust, abundantly provided with hairs and strong spines, and of a yellowish-
brown hue, with red-brown annuli; each tarsus is terminated by three claws of the usual
structure, and below them there are several smaller ones. The palpi resemble the legs in
colour, and have a curv^i pectinated claw at their extremity. The cephalo-thorax is compressed
before, truncated in front, rounded on the sides, depressed behind, and has an
indentation in the m$t!ial line; it is densely covered with long, yellowish-white hairs, and is
of a very dark-brown colour, with the exception of the anterior part, about the region of the
eyes, which has a yellowish-brown tint. The four intermediate eyes are seated on a small
prominence, and form a square, and those of each lateral pair are placed obliquely on a
tubercle, but are not in contact. The falces are strong, conical, vertical, armed with teeth on
the inner surface, and of a reddish-brown colour. The maxillae are short, powerful, and
greatly enlarged at the extremity; and the lip is semicircular, but somewhat pointed. These
organs are of a dark-brown hue at their base, that of their apices being yellowish-brown
The sternum, which is heart-shaped, has a very dark-brown tint, with a longitudinal, yellow-
brown line in the middle; it is covered with whitish hairs, and has small eminences on the
sides, opposite to the legs. The abdomen is of a very broad oviform figure, and projects
greatly over the base of the cephalo-thorax; it is densely covered with hairs, and the upper
part is of a brown colour, with an angular band of a deeper shade, whose apex is directed
backwards, extending along the middle; this band is intersected by transverse lines of the
same hue, diminishing in extent as they approach the spinners; both the longitudinal band
and transverse lines are bordered by long, whitish hairs, and a sinuous band of long, whitish
hairs extends along each side; the under part, which has a yellowish-brown tint, is marked
with brown spots and streaks, and a broad, longitudinal, brownish-black band, comprising two
curved, yellow lines, occurs in the middle; the branchial opercula are of a brown colour, and
the sexual organs have a membraneous process of a semicircular form in connection with their
anterior margin.
The male is smaller and darker coloured than the female, and its legs, which are much
longer than hers, are marked with broader annuli. Its palpi have a dark, yellowish-brown
h u e ; the cubital and radial joints are short, and the latter has a slender apophysis at its
extremity; the digital joint is convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the
palpal organs, which are highly developed, complicated, in structure, and of a very dark
reddish-brown colour.
In a catalogue of spiders, published in the 1 Transactions of the Linnean Society,
vol. xix, p. 113, this species, is included under the name o f Epeira agalena; the mistake
originated in copying the appellation from M. Hahn’s work, ‘ Die Arachniden, where it is
connected with a figure and description of Epeira solers.
The sexes pair in June, and in that and the succeeding month the female fabricates a
subglobose cocoon of yellowish-brown silk of a loose texture, about half an inch in diameter,
and deposits in it 140 or 150 dark-brown, spherical eggs, agglutinated together in a globular
form.
This, spider occurs, but not abundantly, in pastures near Llanrwst, spinning among
coarse plants and bushes a net of moderate extent, between the centre of which and a slightly
concave cell of white silk, constructed at a short distance from it, a communication is established
by means of a strong line; concealed in. this retreat, the vibrations of the connecting
medium speedily convey intelligence to the watchful owner of the snare that a victim is
involved in its meshes.
E peira s im il is . PI. XXV, fig. 244.
jEpeira similis, Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. xiii, p. 186.
— Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. x,
p. 183.
Length of the male, £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, ,th.
The four intermediate eyes form a square, the two anterior ones, which are seated on a
small protuberance, being the largest of the eigh t; the eyes of each lateral pair are placed
obliquely on a tubercle, but, though near together, are not in contact. The cephalo-thorax is
convex, glossy, compressed before, rounded on the sides, and has an indentation in the medial
line; it is of a yellowish-brown colour, with narrow, blackish margins, and a band of the
same hue, which is broadest at its anterior extremity, extending along the middle. The falces
are powerful, conical, vertical, armed with teeth on the inner surface, and have a red-brown
tint. The maxillae are short, strong, straight, and rounded at the extremity; and the lip is
semicircular, but somewhat pointed. These organs are of a reddish-brown colour, with
yellowish-brown extremities, the base of' the lip being much the darkest. The sternum is
heart-shaped, and has small eminences on the sides, opposite to the le g s ; it is of a brownish-
black hue, with a yellowish-brown band in the middle* which diminishes in breadth to its
posterior extremity. The legs are long, provided with hairs and black spines, and of a
yellowish-brown colour spotted with black. The palpi are short, and have a yellowish