web. I t is described, and a beautiful figure of it given, by Mr.
Cambridge in “ Proceed. Zool. Soc.,” Nov. 1869.
Theridion, Walck.
T . p u n ic u m , Lucas,
T . f u l v o lu n u l a tu m , Lucas.—Both this and the last species are
found also in Algeria.
T . t e p i d a r i o r u m , C. Koch.—A small slender, brown Spider,
found in gardens on the high land, on the aloe leaves, &c., apparently
Without much web. The egg cases are spherical, about a
quarter of an inch in diameter, light-brown in colour, and much
resembling leather. I t is a widely dispersed species, indigenous to
Great Britain, and is found in Brazil as well as Ceylon.
Latrodectu s, W alck.
: L . e r e b u s , Savig.—I found but one of this Spider in the
Island. I t is also found in Egypt.—“ Sav. Arachn. de l’Egypte,”
pï. 3, f. 9.
Linyphia, Latr.
L. l e p r o s a , Ohl. (L . confusa, Carobr., “ Trans. Linn. Soc.,” xxvii.
p. 429, pi. 55, No. 21, a, 6, c, d, f g) .— A. common Spider at St,
Helena, and a native of Great Britain.
*L. albimaculàta, Cambr.—A native Spider, but so rare that I
obtained only one specimen, and that latterly. I t is described
“ Proceed. Zool. Soc.,” Mar. 1878, p. 219, from which the following is
taken :—“ The abdomen is of ordinary form, very convex above, and
projecting over the base of the céphalothorax ; the ground-colour is'
of a dark leadenish hue, marked with black patches and markings,
the sides and upper surface being pretty thickly and rather symmetrically
covered with bright white cretaceous spots ; some of these
form slightly oblique lines on the hinder points of the sides, and
others a sort of horizontal cincture on either side of the forehalf ;
others, again, form a broken horizontal band along the lower part of
each side. The general character and disposition of the abdominal,
markings bear a near resemblance to that of L. leprosa (Ohl.) ; but
the markings and colours of the céphalothorax distinguish it from
that species at a glance.”
* I i . t r i f i d id e n s , Cambr — Another native Spider, of which a full
description is given by Mr. Cambridge, “ Proceed. Zool. Soc.,”’
March, 1873. - '
Argyrodes, Sim.
A . e p e i r s e , SimMHA small chocolate-coloured Spider, with silver
markings on the body, found parasitic in webs of Argiope aurelia.
Mr. Cambridge says :—“ I have found it common in webs of Epe'ira
opuntia in Palestine, and Mr. Simon has found it very common also
in similar webs in Spain.” I t is very common about the lower land
at St. Helena, where, in the large webs that cover the prickly-pear
bushes, it is almost always to be found.
Earn. Epeiridm.
Tetragnatha, Lair.
T . p e lu s ia , Savig.:—A long thin-legged, long thin-bodied Spider,-
of a light brown and golden colour, found crawling along the*
sides of streams, &c., in gardens on the high land. I found it
tolerably abundant at The Hermitage amongst the grass and water-
cresses. I t does not appear to make much web. I t preys upon
other spiders, and has a habit of extending its legs fore and aft, so-
as to resemble a small dry twig, and thus escape notice. I t has
been found in. Egypt.
Meta, C- Koch.
*M . d ig n a , Cambr. (Tetragnatha digna and T. indigna, Spiders of
St.Helena, “ Proceed. Zool. Soc.,” 1869, pp. 535—537, pl.xlii. fs.3,4).—
This appears to be the native spider which has best held its own
against the invasion of foreign spiders, for it is still one of the
most abundant garden and outdoor species in the Island. I t is 1
found equally on the low, the medium, and the very highest1
lands; but those - inhabiting the mountain top, near Diana’s Peak,;
where there is a cooler atmosphere, are more slender and smaller
than those found lower down. I t is easily recognised, being the
handsome brown and golden garden spider which spins a large and
beautiful geometric web, stretching from shrub to shrub, or from
tree to tree, sometimes without support for 30 or 40 feet, and some
10 or 20 feet above the ground. I t has always been a puzzle to me
how this spider manages ,to construct suspension bridges, so to
speak, of such magnitude, and across such wide spaces. After
having built such an enormous web, it seems generally to prefer living