situated immediately above the frontal margin, are rather larger Gian those of the posterior
row, the two intermediate ones being the largest o f the eight. The cephalo-thorax is convex,
somewhat hairy, compressed before, and rounded on the, sides, which are depressed, and
marked with furrows converging towards the middle; it is of a red-brown colour, with fine,
brownish-black, lateral margins, and lines of the same hue, on each side, describing narrow,
oblique triangles, whose vertices are, directed towards the middle, the small area enclosed by
each being of a red-brown ,hue. The falces are strong, conical, vertical, prominent at the
base, and armed with a few teeth on the inner surface; the maxilke are short, convex,
rounded at the extremity, and slightly inclined towards the lip, which is nearly quadrate,
being rather broader at the base than.at the extremity; the sternum is heart-shaped; the
legs and palpi are moderately long and robust, and are provided with hairs and spines.
These parts are of a red-brown colour, the lip being the darkest. Each tarsus is terminated
by two curved, deeply pectinated claws, and the palpi have a curved, pectinated claw at
their extremity. The abdomen is, oviform, hairy, somewhat larger at the posterior than at
the anterior extremity, convex above, and projects over the base of the cephalo-thorax; its
colour is yellow-brown, a series of brownish-black, angular lines, whose vertices are directed
forwards, extending along the middle o f the upper part; the sides are marked with spots of
a brownish-black hue; those on their posterior half are sometimes confluent, forming oblique
lines, and an irregular spot of a larger size occurs on each side of the spinners ; on the under
part there are three faint, longitudinal bands of a dull-brown colour, which meet at the
posterior extremity, where the short spinners are situated ; the sexual organs have a dark,
reddish-brown tin t; and the colour of the branchial opercula is yellow.
In the design formed by the distribution of their colours the sexes resemble each other,
but the male is rather the smaller. The cubital and radial joints of its palpi are short; the
former is the stronger, and the latter has a long, acute apophysis, bent downwards at the
point, projecting from the outer side of its extremity; the digital joint is oval, convex and
hairy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed,
prominent, complicated in structure, with several curved, pointed, corneous processes at the
extremity, and are of a red-brown colour.
Agelena irunnea is of rare occurrence in woods in the valley of the Conway! The sexes
pair in May, and in the same month the female constructs an elegant, vase-shaped cocoon of
white silk, of a fine, compact texture, attached by a short foot-stalk to rushes,-the stems of
grass, heath, or gorse; it measures about one fourth of an inch in diameter, and contains
from forty to fifty yellowish-white, spherical eggs, enveloped in white silk connected with the
interior surface o f the cocoon contiguous to the foot-stalk. Greatly to the disadvantage of
its appearance, the entire cocoon is smeared with moist soil, which, drying, serves to protect
it from the weather, and, as an additional security, the extremity is closed and directed
downwards.
Mr. J. Hardy has found this species in Berwickshire.
Agelena celans. PI. X, fig. 103.
Agelena celans, Blackw., Linn. Trans., vol. xviii, p. 634.
. ; __ — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. viii,
p. 333.
Argus — Walek., Hist. Nat. des Insect.. Apt., tom. iv, p. 504.
len g th of the female, 1th .of an inch; length of the cephajq-thorax, ^tb, breadth, ^ th ;
breadth: of the abdomen, * th ; length o f a posteripr;,Ieg, ftths ; length of a leg of the third
pair, iiths.
The.intermediate eyes of the anterior row are much the smallest, and those constituting
each lateral pair are the largest of the eight. The cephalo-thprax- is slightly compressed
before, and the sides are rounded, depressed, and marked with furrows which converge
towards a narrow indentation in the medial line; it is hairy, and of a very dark-brown
colour, with yellowish-brown lateral margins, and a band of the same hue extending along
the middle. The falces are strong; conical, vertical, and armed with a few teeth on the inner
surface; the maxilte are short, convex at the base, round at the extremity, and slightly
inclined towards the lip, which is quadrate, being rather broader at the base than at the
extremity. These organs are o f a brown colour, tinged with red, the base of the lip being
much the darkest. The sternum isjSbort, heart-shaped, and h a s,a yellowish-brown tint.
The legs and palpi are of a brown hue, tinged with red, the thighs being the palest; the
tibiae and metatarsi of the first and second pairs of legs have a series of large, sessile spines
on each side of their inferior surface ; each tarsus is terminated by two curved, pectinated
claws; and the palpi have a small, curved claw at their extremity. The abdomen is oviform,
hairy, rather broader at the posterior than at the anterior extremity, convex above, projecting
over the base of the cephalo-thorax; the upper part is; of a very dark-brown hue, with
reddish-brown and scattered hairs of a yellowish-brown colour intermixed; an obscure,
dentated, reddish-brown band extends along the middle; and the under part is o f a yellowish-
brownhue, marked with three faint, longitudinal lines of a darker shade; the spinners are
short; and the branchial opercula have a pale-yellow tint.
Both sexes are similar in colour,: .but the male is the smaller. The cubital and radial
joints of its palpi are short, the latter having a straight, pointed apophysis at its extremity,
on the outer side; the digital joint is oval, convex and hairy externally, concave within,
comprising the palpal organs they are highly developed, rather complicated in structure,
vascular, with a black, corneous process at the extremity, which is broad, depressed, curved
near the base, and abruptly recurved about the middle; their colour is red-brown.
This scarce species may occasionally be met with running upon the ground, or concealed
under stones, in woods about Llanrwst. The palpal organs of the male are developed in
August. Though intimately allied to the Agelena, yet M. Walckenaer has included this
spider in the genus Argus.