are prominent and convex at the upper part, somewhat pointed at the extremity, and of a
reddish-brown colour.
Drassus sericeus has been obtained in several of the northern counties of England and
Wales. It frequents the interior of houses, especially such as are old, and is decidedly
nocturnal in its habits. Like other species o f the genus, it is enabled to run with facility on
the perpendicular surfaces of dry, polished bodies by the emission of an adhesive secretion
from the hair-like papillae on the inferior surface of its tarsi. The pap'illae connected with the
terminal joint of each inferior spinner not only vary in number with the age of the spider, the
full complement being nine large and two small ones, but a like number does not constantly
occur on both spinners of the same individual.
D r a s s u s r e t i c u l a t u s .
Drassus reticulatus, Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. x,
p. 97.
Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., ‘second series, vol. xi,
p. 115.
Length of the female, |ths of an inch ; length of the cephalo-thorSx, jth, breadth, Jth ;
breadth of the abdomen, ;th ; length of a posterior leg, *ths ; length of a leg of the third
pair, fcths.
The eyes are round, and are disposed on the anterior part of the cephalo-thorax in two
nearly parallel, transverse rows ; the posterior row is rather the longer ; and the intermediate
eyes, which are the smallest, and nearer to each other than they are to.the lateral eyes of the
same row, form a square with the intermediate eyes of thfe anterior row, which are much the
largest of the eight, and black, all the others being diaphanous. The cephalo-thorax is oval,
convex, pointed before, and thinly covered with hairs; the maxillæ are long, convex at the
base, depressed near the middle, enlarged at the extremity, which is obliquely truncated on
the mner side, and carved towards the lip, which, is long, oval, and rounded at the apex - the
sternum is oval, broader in the posterior than in the anterior region, and supplied with hairs,
which are densest on the margins ; the legs are robust, moderately hairy, and provided with
a few sessile spines ; the fourth pair is the longest, the first slightly surpasses the second, and
the third pair is the shortest; each tarsus has hair-like papillæ.on the under side, and two
curved, pectinated claws at its extremity. These parts, with the palpi, are1 of a yellowish-
brown colour, the digital joint of the latter and the lip being the darkest. The falces are
powerful, conical, armed with one or two very, minute teeth on the inner surface, slightly
prominent, and of a red-brown hue. The abdomen is of an elongated oviform figure, projecting
a little over the base of the cephalo-thorax ; it is sparingly clothed with short,
whitish hairs, and is of a pale, olive-brown colour; reticulated'with fine, dull, yellowish-white
D r a s s u s s y l v e s t r i s : PI. VI, fig . 6 8 .
Drassus sylvestris, Blackw., Lond. and Edinb. Phil. Mag., third series, vol. iii, p. 440.
— — Blackw., Research, in Zool., p. 342.
— —- Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. viii,
p. 40.
— signifer, Koch, Die Arachn., Band vi, p. 31, tab. 188, fig. 452.
Length of the female, |ths of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, |th, breadth, 535th s;
breadth of the abdomen,Jth; length of a posterior leg, ^ths; length of a leg of the third
pair, ^ths.
The eyes are arranged on the anterior part of the cephalo-thorax in two transverse,
parallel, slightly curved rows, having their convexity directed backwards; the intermediate
eyes of the posterior row, which is rather the longer, are oval, nearer to each other than they
are to the lateral eyes of the same“ row, and form a quadrangle with the intermediate eyes of
the anterior row, which are the smallest of the eight. The cephalo-thorax is oval, glossy,
convex, somewhat depressed in front, where the eyes are situated, and marked with slight
furrows on the sides ; the falces are powerful, conical, prominent at the base, armed with teeth
on the inner surface, and project a little forwards; the maxillae are long, convex at the base,
enlarged where the palpi are inserted, and at the extremity, which is obliquely truncated on
the inner side; they are depressed and contracted in the middle, and curved towards the lip,
which is long, oval, convex at the base, and rounded at the apex; the sternum is oval, somewhat
pointed at its posterior extremity, and has minute eminences on the sides, opposite to the
legs; the legs are robust, moderately hairy, and are supplied with a few small, sessile spines;
the fourth pair is the longest, then the first, and the third pair is the shortest; each tarsus
has hair-like papillae on its inferior surface, and two curved claws at its extremity, which are
pectinated at their base; the palpi are strong, and are terminated by a single curved claw-
pectinated > at its base. These parts are of a reddish-brown colour, the falces, maxillae, and
lip being much the darkest. The abdomen is of an oblong-oviform figure, thickly covered
with short hairs, and of a dull, olive-green colour, tinged with browm; a band of a deeper hue,
broad before and tapering to a point behind, extends from its anterior extremity, contiguous
to the cephalo-thorax, nearly two thirds of its length, along the middle, the interval comprised
between it and the spinners being occupied by a series of obscure, hoary, angular lines, having
their vertices directed forwards; the spinners are prominent, cylindrical, and hav.e a reddish-
brown tin t; the sexual organs are semicircular, and of a dark, reddish-brown colour, approaching
to black; and the branchial opercula are large, and have a yellow hue. '
The sexes are similar in colour, but the male is smaller than the female, and the relative
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