middle of the upper part; the anterior part of this band comprises five conspicuous, brown
depressions; the three anterior ones describe a triangle whose vertex is directed forwards,
and the other two are situated parallel to its base; two obscure, brown lines, forming a very
acute angle whose vertex is directed backwards, occur between the depressions constituting
the two posterior pairs; the sexual organs have a dark, reddish-brown tin t; and the colour of
the branchial opercula is pale-yellow.
The male is much smaller, darker coloured, and less distinctly marked than the female.
The cephalo-thorax has a red-brown hue, the band directed backwards from each lateral pair
of eyes is black, and the lateral margins have a yellowish-white tint. The legs and sternum
are of a red-brown colour, the latter being marbled with a deeper shade of red-brown. The
falces have a brownish-black hue, with a red-brown mark in front which extends to the outer
side. The maxillae and lip have a dark-brown tint, their extremities being the palest. The
axillary and humeral joints of the palpi are of a dark-brown colour, tinged with r ed; the
cubital and radial joints are of a red-brown hue, tinged with dark-brown, the latter being the
darker, and the digital joint has a dark-brown tin t; the radial joint is larger than the cubital,
and projects from its extremity, on the outer side, two bifid apophyses; one branch of the
superior apophysis is prominent, and the other is in close contact with the base of the digital
joint, which joint is oval, convex, and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal
organs; these organs are highly deyeloped, complex in structure, with a pointed, prominent
process at their base, and have a brownish-black tint. The upper part of the abdomen is of
a red-brown colour, interspersed with a few black spots; it is palest in the medial line, but the
design of the broad, dentated band is almost obliterated; the frontal margin and a band
extending along each side have a yellowish-white tint, and the under part is of a pale, red-
brown colour.
The abdomen of both sexes, when adolescent, is of a pale-yellow colour, with a few black
spots on the upper part.
Adult and immature individuals of this species of Thomisus were discovered among grass
growing in and near woods at Oakland, in August, 1852; and in 1858 specimens, taken in
Scotland, were received from Mr. J. Hardy.
Thomisus trux. PI. IV, fig. 50.
Thomisus trux, Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. xviii, p. 300.
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. vii,
p. 451.
Length of the male, 1th of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^ th;
breadth of the abdomen, ^th ; length of a leg of the second pair, 1th ; length of a leg of the
third pair, 1th.
The legs dre robust, and are provided with hairs and spines; they are of a yellowishbrown
colour, with the exception of the femora ; those of the first pair, the anterior half of
those of the second pair, and the extremity of those’ of the third and fourth pairs having a
brownish-black hue, faintly tinged with red ; the first and second pairs are longer than the
third and fourth pairs, and are nearly equal in length, the second pair being slightly the
longer, and the fourth pair surpasses the third in longitudinal extent; each tarsus is terminated
by two curved, pectinated claws. The palpi are short ; the colour of the humeral and digital
joints is dark-brown, that of the cubital joint is yellowish-brown, and the hue of the radial
joint is reddish-brown ; the radial is much stronger than the cubital joint, and projects from
its extremity, on the outer side, a slender, slightly curved, pointed apophysis, which is very
prominent, and an obtuse one, situated underneath, which has a process at its base, on the
outer side ; the digital joint is oval, convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising
the palpal organs ; these organs are highly developed, complicated in structure, with a strong,
prominent point near the middle, a filiform spine curved from the outer side round their
extremity, and are of a dark-brown colour, tinged with red. The cephalo-thorax is compressed
before, rounded on the sides, truncated in front, and abruptly depressed at the base ;
the sides are black, marked with a longitudinal band of a clear, red-brown colour, and a broad
band of the latter hue extends along the middle. The eyes form a crescent on the anterior
part of the cephalo-thorax ; the lateral eyes are seated on tubercles, and are larger than the
intermediate ones, those of the anterior row being the largest of the eight. The falces are
short, subconical, vertical, and of a dark-brown colour, with a red-brown spot in front. The
maxillæ are convex near the base, and enlarged where the palpi are inserted ; and the lip is
triangular. These parts have a brown tint. The sternum is heart-shaped, and of a yellowish-
brown hue. The abdomen is depressed^ corrugated, particularly on the sides, sparingly
supplied with short, strong hairs, and is broader at the posterior than at the anterior extremity1,
the latter, which appears as if cut in a straight line across, projecting over the base of the
cephalo-thorax ; it is of a yellowish-brown colour above, encircled by a band of yellowish-
white ; on each side of the medial line there is a broad, irregular, longitudinal band of a dark-
brown hue extending nearly to the spinners, immediately above which organs there are
several transverse, yellowish-white streaks ; in the middle of the space included between the
dark-brown bands there are two dark-brown lines forming a very acute angle whose vertex is
directed backwards, and in its anterior part there are five circular, yellowish-brown depressions ;
three are disposed in the form of a triangle, having its vertex directed forwards, and the
other two are situated parallel to its base; the sides and under part are of a dark-brown hue,
mottled with yellowish-brown ; and the spinners and branchial opercula are of a yellowish-
brown colour.
An adult male of this species was taken among grass in a pasture at Oakland, in June,
1846 ; and several individuals of the same sex have since been met with running on the
ground in fields near Llanrwst. Males of Thomisus trux have also been captured in Scotland,
by Mr. J. Hardy.