interrupted by a brown patch near the spinners which sometimes comprises a yellowish spot;
this ban.d has yellow'lateral borders, and there are two spots o f the same hue on each side of
the spinners ; the colour of the branchial opercula is yellowish-white.' This species :varies
greatly in colour, some- individuals being much darker and: less distinctly marked than
others..
The design formed by the colours of the sexes is similar, but the male is smaller than
the female. The cubital and radial joints of its palpi are short, and the latter, which is the
stronger, has a minute apophysis at its extremity, in front; the digital joint consists of three
parts ; one, which projects boldly in front, is curved, glossy, transversely striated above, and
has a thin membrane connected with i t ; another, united to the base o f the curved part on
the outer side, is slender and hairy; and the third, which is much the largest, is somewhat
oval, contracted at the base, convex and hairy externally, and concave within ;^™a re
connected with the palpal organs, which are moderately developed, not very complicated in
structure, and of a red-brown colour. The convex side's of the oval parts of the digital
joints are directed towards each other.
Obscure damp situations are generally resorted to by this spider, which is plentiful in
many parts of England and Wales, and also occurs in Scotland and Ireland. It spins an
extensive hdt with an open circular space at the centre, which it usually occupies when
watching for its prey; from this station it drops quickly to the ground on being disturbed*
regaining it when the danger is past by means of a line drawn from the spinners in its
descent, and previously attached to the circumvolution o f the unadhesive line bounding
the central aperture. Like Tetraynatba externa, it has the habit of extending the first and
second pairs of legs in a line with the body.
Immature individuals of the species Epeira antnada, Epeira indinata, Epeira euxwriitina
and Epeira diadema, and adults of the species Linyphia minuta and JjinypTiia tenuis, are frequently
infested by the larva of the Polysphincta carbonaria of Gravenhorst, which feeds upon
their fluids and ultimately occasions their death. Since the publication of the account of
this parasite in the ‘ Annals and Magazine o f Natural History,’ vol. xi, p. 1 , it has been
observed that the colour of the larva, after its final change of integument; becomes dark-
brown, streaked and spotted with white, particularly on the sides, and that a series of dorsal
prolegs is developed on the segments of its body comprised between the third and tenth, both
inclusive. These dorsal prolegs are short, and, with the exception of that on the tenth
segment, are more or less bifid at the summit; on their extremities are disposed numerous
fine curved processes or claws, with which the larva, when about to fabricate its cocoon,
attaches itself to the lines spun by its victim. Only two instances are noticed by Messrs.
Kirby and Spence in their ' Introduction to Entomology,’ sixth edition, vol. ii, pp. 227, 228,
of the larvae of insects having prolegs situated on their backs.
E pëira ceiata. PL XXVI, fig. 254.
Epeira celata, Blackw., Linn. Trans., vol. xviii, p. 668.
I _ Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. x, p. 187.
Length of the female, *ths of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, Aths, breadth, 5th;
breadth o f the abdomen, ith ; length of an anterior leg, }rds; length of a leg of the thir
pair, ^ths.
The abdomen is oviform, hairy, convex above, and projects over the base of the cephalo-
thorax; ib is mottled with black and brown, and has an obscure, yellowish, curved line on
each side of the anterior region of the upper part, and a broad, yellow band extending along
the middlfe; this hand, which comprises a fine, longitudinal, ramified line of a darker hue, is
narrowest at its anterior extremity, near which a short, yellow line crosses it at right angles ;
on each side , of the middle of the brownish-hlack under part there is a longitudinal, yellow
line ; and the colour o f the branchial opercula is pale-brown. The cephalo-thorax is convex,
glossy, compressed before, truncated in front, and rounded on the sides, which are marked
with slight furrows converging towards a large indentation in the medial line ; its colour is
•pale-brown, with black margins, a few transverse, black streaks on the sides, and a band of
the same hue extending along the middle, which increases in breadth as it approaches the
eyes, where it comprises several pale-brown spot*. The four intermediate eyes nearly form
a square ; the two anterior ones are seated on a slight prominence, and those of each lateral
pair are placed obliquely on a small tubercle, and are almost m contact. The falces are
powerful, conical, convex near the base, in front, armed with teeth on the inner surface, and
inclined towards the sternum; their colour is very dark-brown tinged with red. The
maxilke are straight, enlarged and rounded at the extremity, and of a dark reddish-brow^
hue. The lip is semicircular and o f a brownish-black colour, having a faint tinge of red at
the apex, which is prominent. The sternum is heart-shaped, with eminences on the sides,
opposite to the legs, and has a brownish-black tint. The legs are long, provided with hairs
and erect, black spines, and of a yellowish-brown hue, with black spots and 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 curved, pectinated claw at
their extremity.
The male is smaller than the female, bpt it resembles her in colour. The cubital and
radial joints of its palpi are short, and the latter, which is the stronger, has a small pointed
apophysis at its extremity, in front g lh e digital joint consists of three parts; one, which
projects boldly in front, is curved^ glossy, transversely striated above, and has a thin
membrane connected with it ; another, united to the base of the curved part on the outer
side, is slender and hairy ; and the third, which is much the largest, is somewhat oval contracted
at its base, convex and hairy externally, and concave within ; all are connected with
the palpal organs, which are moderately developed, not very complicated m structure, and