Family.-ATYPIDE.

Atypus piceus (Sulz.).

Atypus Sulzeri, Bl. (Spid. G. B. I.).

Leinster.

The presence of this spider in Ireland was made known by the discovery of its tubular nest at Geashill, King's County, by Mrs. Reamsbotham in May, 1896. The nest was kindly forwarded to me by the Rev. Canon Russell, to whom it had been given by the finder. On submitting it to the Rev. O. P. Cambridge, my opinion as to its being a nest of Atypus was confirmed, and I recorded the occurrence (1896). Although, in the absence of an example of the spider, one cannot be absolutely sure of the species, there can be little doubt that the nest was the work of the commoner English species of the genus. A. piceus appears to range over the south of England from London and Brighton to Cornwall. It is distributed in Holland, throughout western, central, and eastern France, in southern Germany, northern Italy, Austria, and in western, central, and eastern Hungary.

Family.-DYSDERIDE.

Dysdera Cambridgei, Thorell.

D. erythrina, Bl. (Spid. G. B. I.).

Ulster, Leinster.

This spider is much scarcer in Ireland than D. crocota. I have never seen a male specimen. Mr. Workman (1880) recorded it from Glenarm and Eden, county of Antrim, and has kindly informed me that the Glenarm specimen was identified by Mr. Cambridge. Females in the Dublin Museum collection from Coolmore, county of Donegal, and Leixlip, county of Kildare are, I believe, referable to this species. Its distribution has been traced in Great Britain, from Dorset to Edinburgh. On the Continent it seems the only species of the genus which is found in central Europe, ranging as far north as Paris and Hamburg. In Hungary it has only been found in the north, though it occurs throughout Italy and Sicily.

Dysdera crocota, Koch.

D. rubicunda, Bl. (Spid. G. B. I.).

Ulster, Connaught, Munster, Leinster.

This species is generally distributed throughout Ireland and not It has occurred at Londonderry; Armagh; Kircubbin,

uncommon.

county of Down; Inish M'Dara, county of Galway; Castlequin, county of Kerry; Cork; Bray, county of Wicklow; Malahide, Kingstown, and Dundrum, county of Dublin, as well as in Dublin city, where it occasionally inhabits houses; perhaps it is taking to an indoor life. Adults occur in the open (under stones, &c.) from May till August; in houses as early as March. In Great Britain this is a rare species, known to occur only in Dorset, the Isle of Man, and Berwickshire, while, like nearly all its congeners, it is a characteristic Mediterranean form abroad (Crete, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Spain, France northward to Paris), occurring also in the Canaries and Azores, in St. Helena, in South Africa, North America, and extra-tropical South America. This discontinuous range shows clearly that it is an old species; like many other ancient forms of life, it seems able to hold its own in Ireland.

Harpactes Hombergii (Scop.).

Dysdera Hombergii, Bl. (Spid. G. B. I.)
Ulster, Connaught, Munster, Leinster.

This species is doubtless generally distributed in Ireland, though not very commonly. I have received specimens from counties Antrim, Donegal, Sligo, Roscommon (Athlone and Mote Park), Kerry (Killarney, Kenmare, and Ventry), Cork (Skibbereen), Kildare (Borris), Wicklow (Bray), and Dublin. Adults have been found in March, May, June, July, August, and November. This spider is widely distributed in Great Britain, ranging at least as far as Oban. It is the only species of a Mediterranean genus which extends northward into Scandinavia, while it is widely distributed over Central Europe (France, Spain, northern Italy, Germany, Austria, northern, eastern, and western Hungary).

Segestria senoculata (L.).

Ulster, Connaught, Munster, Leinster.

Common all over the country, specimens having been taken in numerous localities from Dublin to Galway and from Donegal and Derry to Kerry. The range of the species extends into the far southwestern peninsulas (Ventry, Waterville, Berehaven), as well as into the western islands (Achill, Inishmore (Aran), and Inish M‘Dara, near Roundstone). Specimens in all stages of growth are to be found at all seasons of the year. It is a widely distributed spider in Great Britain, ranging north at least to Inverness, while on the Continent it inhabits northern and central Europe, ranging south at least to north-western Spain and southern Italy.

Family.-OONOPIDÆ.

Oonops pulcher, Templeton.

Ulster, Connaught, Munster, Leinster.

This little spider, though widespread, is scarce in Ireland. Specimens have been taken in counties of Down (Rathmullan, Craigdarragh), Antrim (Belfast, Islandmagee), Donegal (Rathmullan), Roscommon (Mote Park), Cork (Skibbereen), and Dublin. It is not a common species in Great Britain, though recorded from Dorset, Kent, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Durham, Northumberland, Westmoreland, Edinburgh, Perthshire, Aberdeen, and Oban. It occurs in Lapland, the Channel Islands, south-western Europe and the Madeiras and Italy, but is apparently absent from the fauna of Central Europe.

Family.-DRASSIDÆ.

Prosthesima subterranea (Koch).

Drassus ater, Bl. (Spid. G. B. I.).

Prosthesima Petiverii, Cb. (Spid. Dorset).

Leinster.

The only Irish example of this spider known to me is an adult male, taken by Mr. Freeman at Powerscourt, county of Wicklow. According to Mr. Workman the species was found by Templeton "in the neighbourhood of Dublin." It has a wide distribution in England (Dorset, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Northumberland), but is only recorded from the extreme south of Scotland. According to Simon it ranges over the greater part of Europe (southwards to Naples), and occurs in Siberia and in North America. In southern France it occurs only in mountainous districts (Alps, Auvergnes, Pyrenees), while in Hungary it is recorded only from the Carpathians.

[Specimens from the county of Clare and Inishmore, Aran, were erroneously recorded by me (1895, ii.) as belonging to this species. They are really referable to the next.]

Prosthesima longipes (L. Koch).

Munster, Connaught.

This spider has, as yet, only been taken in Ireland, near Ballyvaughan, county of Clare, and on Inishmore (Aran Islands, Galway Bay). The specimens, females not quite mature, were taken in July, 1895. In Great Britain this spider has only been recognised in Dorset. On the Continent it inhabits northern and eastern France, southern Germany, northern and central Hungary, and extends into Siberia.

Prosthesima Latreillei, Simon.

Ulster, Munster, Leinster.

This spider seems to be widespread and not rare over the greater part of Ireland. Mr. Workman's collection contains specimens from Colin Glen, county of Antrim, and Craigdarragh, county of Down, while I have received specimens from Limerick; Cratloe, county of Clare; Kenmare and Dingle, county of Kerry; Skibbereen, county of Cork; Lismore, county of Waterford (1894); and Drogheda. It is remarkable that I have never met with the spider in the counties of Dublin and Wicklow. Adult females, guarding their egg-cocoons, are to be observed in June and July, and half-grown individuals in September. This is a rare species in Great Britain, having only been recorded from the south of England (Isle of Wight, Dorset, Salisbury), but I have seen specimens from the Isle of Man and from Westmoreland. On the Continent, P. Latreillei inhabits northern and eastern France, southern Germany, Austria, and Hungary.

Prosthesima pusilla (Koch). Drassus pusillus, Bl. (Spid. G. B. I.). Prosthesima nigrita, Cb. (Spid. Dorset). Ulster, Connaught, Leinster.

This appears to be a scarce species in Ireland, yet not so rare here as in Great Britain. It has occurred in the county of Antrim (Portrush and Giant's Causeway); at Londonderry; Coolmore, county of Donegal; Inishmore (Aran), Galway Bay; and Tallaght, county of Dublin. Adult females were observed in July, and immature specimens in April. The only British localities for P. pusilla are Dorset, Cambridgeshire, Northumberland, and Edinburgh. Abroad it inhabits Sweden, France (north and east), Switzerland, Bavaria, Tyrol, Italy, Austria, and Hungary.

Drassodes lapidosus (Koch). Drassus lapidicolens. Bl. (Spid. G. B. I.).

Leinster.

Evidently a rare and local species in Ireland. Mr. Fred. O. P. Cambridge has kindly examined most of our Drassi of this group; and the only examples which he refers to this species were taken on the summit of Carrickgallagher, near Shankill, county of Dublin. The rest of the specimens in the Dublin Museum belong to the next species, D. cupreus, which has until recently been confounded with this by arachnologists, though Blackwall discriminated between them.

D. lapidosus has been recorded from numerous localities in Great Britain, but it is probable that most, if not all, of the Scottish specimens are referable to D. cupreus. It is said to occur throughout the entire Holarctic Region.

Drassodes cupreus (Bl.).

Drassus lapidosus or lapidicolens (in part) of Cambridge and other authors.

Ulster, Connaught, Munster, Leinster.

One of our commonest spiders, occurring all over Ireland. Specimens have been taken at numerous localities, from the counties of Antrim and Donegal to Skibbereen and Berehaven in the county of Cork and Slea Head, at the extreme west of Kerry; on Lambay Island, off the coast of the county of Dublin, as well as on Inishmore (Aran), and Inish M'Dara, off the coast of the county of Galway, and Achill Island, county of Mayo. Males are to be observed in April, May, and June, females from April till November, being most plentiful in June and July, when the young spiders are hatched from the eggs. Cocoons can then be found beneath stones, guarded by the mother. In our list of Edinburgh spiders Mr. Evans and I only recorded adults of this species up to August. In the south of Ireland, however, they last on into November, and at Altidore, county of Wicklow, I have found a female with her newly hatched brood of young so late as September.

Drassodes troglodytes (Koch).

Drassus clavator, Bl. (Spid. G. B. I.).

Ulster, Connaught, Munster, Leinster.

Widely distributed, but not common. I have seen specimens from Londonderry; Portrush; Clonbrock, county of Galway; Killarney ; county of Wicklow (Newcastle and south of Wicklow town), and Drogheda. This spider with us is adult in summer; specimens taken in September are about half-grown. In Great Britain it seems scarce, though widespread-Dorset, Isle of Man, Cumberland, Northumberland, Edinburgh, Oban, Aberdeen, Inverness-shire; while abroad it occurs throughout the Palearctic Region from the islands of the Atlantic to Mongolia.

[The immature spider doubtfully recorded as D. delinquens, Cb., from county of Wicklow (Dubl. Nat. F. C., 1896), is probably referable to D. troglodytes].