four intermediate ones almost describe a square, and those of each lateral pair are seated
obliquely on a tubercle. The falces are strong, conical, vertical, supplied with yellowish-
brown hairs, and are armed with two rows of teeth on the inner surface; the maxillae are
powerful; the lip is longer than broad, and somewhat hollowed at the extremity. These
parts have a dark, reddish-brown tint, the extremities of the maxillae and lip being much
the palest. The sternum is broad, heart-shaped, pointed at the posterior extremity, hairy,
and o f a reddish-brown colour, with a dark-brown band on each side, comprising several
reddish-brown spots. The abdomen is oviform, hairy, convex above, projecting over the
base of the cephalo-thorax; a dentated, brownish-red band, bordered with black, extends
along the middle of the upper part, and disposed on the black border, on each side of this
band, there is a series o f yellow spots, diminishing in size as they approach the spinners;
the first two spots of each series are the most conspicuous, the anterior one, which is the
larger, being of an irregular figure £the sides and under part are of a yellowish-brown colour,
thickly spotted and streaked with brownish-black, a dull-yellow line extending along each
side of the latter; the superior spinners are triarticulate, the spinning-tubes being disposed
on the inferior surface of the terminal jo in t; and the branchial opercula have a yellowish
tint. Numerous compound, sessile hairs occur on the body and limbs of this spider.
The male is smaller and darker coloured than the female, and the relative length of its legs
is different, the second pair being longer than the fourth ; their absolute length also is greater,
the anterior one of a large individual sometimes measuring 2 | inches. The thighs of the first
and second pairs of legs have a dark, reddish-brown tint, those of the anterior pair being the
darkest. The palpi have a dark, reddish-brown hue; the radial joint is much longer than
the cubital, and has an obtuse apophysis near its extremity, on the outer side, which projects
from its base a blackish, slightly bifid process, and immediately below this apophysis, at the
extremity of the joint, there is a larger, paler, and more obtuse one; the digital joint is long,
hairy, convex above, at the base, but cylindrical and pointed at the en d ; the palpal organs
are connected with a cavity on the under side of the basal convexity, and are moderately
developed, prominent, complicated in structure, with a bold process at the base, terminated
by a curved, pointed, black spine, and a large, oblong part, situated at the outer side, a cavity
in which receives the point of a long, slender, curved, black spine, originating near the base,
on the inner side; their colour is red-brown.
Specimens o f Tegenaria domestica have been received from Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire,
and Middlesex. It inhabits old buildings, spinning an extensive, horizontal sheet of web in
angles formed by the transverse junction of their walls, and in various other situations:
connected with the web, which, in addition to its lateral points of contact, is supported by
numerous fine lines attached to both surfaces and to adjacent objects above and below it, is
a short tube, usually situated in the angle formed by the walls, which, being open at its extremities,
not only affords a retreat to the spider, but a ready medium of communication also
with every part of its snare. The sexes pair in May, and in the two following months the
female constructs several lenticular cocoons of white silk of a fine texture, measuring about
§ths of an inch in diameter, each of which contains from 130 to 150 spherical eggs of a
yellowish-white colour, not agglutinated together. All the cocoons are inclosed in separate
sacs composed of compact, white silk, having particles o f plaster, whitewash, and other heterogenous
materials, distributed upon their exterior surface.
The spider alluded to by Mr. Jesse, in his i Scenes and Tales of Country Life,’ p. 339,
as being peculiar to Hampton Court, and there named the “ Cardinal,” most probably is this
species.
Tegenaria atrica. PI. X I, fig. 106.
Tegenaria atrica, Koch, Die Arachn., Band x, p. 105, tab. 353, fig. 825..
— — Blackw.,' Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. viii,
p. 333.
— sceva, Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. xiii, p. 179.
Length of the female, ^ths of an in ch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^jths, breadth,
^nds ; breadth of the abdomen, ,th ; length of a posterior leg, l,th; length of a leg of the third
pair, 1.
The legs are long, hairy, and of a reddish-brown colour, with the exception of the thighs
of the second, third, and fourth pairs, which, have a dull, greenish-brown hue, and several
black spots occur on the under side of each coxa ; the fourth pair is the longest, then the
first, and the third pair is the shortest; each tarsus is terminated by three claws; the two
superior ones are curved and pectinated, and the inferior one is inflected near its base, which
is furnished with several fine teeth. The palpi have, a curved, pectinated claw at their
extremity, and their colour is dark, reddish-brown. The anterior part of the cephalo-thorax
is compressed, and the sides, which are rounded, are marked with furrows con verging, to wards
a narrow indentation in the medial lin e ; it is thickly covered with hairs, and has a pale,
yellowish-brown tint, a fine line extending along the middle of the anterior part, a broad,
irregular, longitudinal band on each side, and the lateral margins, having a dark-brown hue.
The eyes are almost equal in s iz e ; the four intermediate ones nearly describe a square,
the two anterior ones being rather the largest of the eigh t; and those constituting each
lateral pair are seated obliquely on a small tubercle, but are not contiguous. The falces
are powerful, conical, vertical, provided with two rows of teeth and some long hairs on the
inner surface, and are of a dark, reddish-brown colour, approaching to black. The maxillae
are strong; the lip is longer than broad, and slightly notched at the extremity. These
parts are of a reddish-brown hue, their extremities being the palest, and the base of the lip
the darkest. The sternum is heart-shaped; a red-brown band extends along the middle,
which decreases in breadth to its posterior extremity, and on each side there is a large,
dark-brown, semilunar band, comprising several circular, red-brown spots situated opposite
to the legs. The abdomen is oviform, hairy, convex above, projecting over the base of the
cephalo-thorax; along the middle of the upper part a series of yellowish-brown, angular lines
extends; these lines become shorter and less conspicuous as they approach the spinners,
and their vertices, which are directed forwards, are obliterated at the anterior part of the
series by a longitudinal band o f a yellowish-brown h u e ; alternating with their extremities,
which are greatly enlarged, there are black blotches of an irregular figure; the sides and
under part have a yellowish-brown tin t ; the former is thickly spotted with black, and the
latter has an obscure band on each side of the medial lin e ; these bands are composed of