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Show 1882.] REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON NEW ARANEIDEA. 437 colour is a pale whitish yellow-brown, clothed with fine greyish hairs ; on the upperside is a long, tapering, not very distinct, narrow, blackish longitudinal central stripe; on each side is a stronger blackish-brown one ; the underside has a broad longitudinal blackish-brown central band, with a narrower stripe or line on each side of it. The spinners are short, those of the inferior pair strongest; and immediately in front of them is the supernumerary spinning-organ characteristic of the family and genus. Two examples of this very distinct species were contained among other Spiders found in Caffraria, and kindly given to me by Mr. J. Mansel Weale. MIAGRAMMOPES BREVICAUDA, sp. n. (Plate XXXI. fig. 12 A.) Adult female, length 4 lines. In its general colouring and appearance this Spider bears close resemblance to M. longicauda ; but the shorter production of the posterior extremity of the abdomen distinguishes it at a glance. The legs also are shorter, though preserving the same relative proportions and armature ; and the cephalothorax is uniformly of a deep but dull brown hue, no longitudinal central paler hand being discernible. The abdomen of both the examples examined were in bad condition ; but there appeared to be a stronger longitudinal dark central stripe on the fore half of the upperside, and the lateral bands are wanting ; the underside has a longitudinal central yellowish-brown band, margined on each side with a strong, deeper brown line. Spinners short, compact, and in other respects like those of the foregoing species. The interval between the two central eves appears to be slightly greater than in that species, but otherwise there is not much difference in this part of their structure. Two adult examples were received from Caffraria with those of M. longicauda. Family POLTID^E. W I X I A , g. n. (nom. propr.). Cephalothorax short, broad, sides deep and convex, lateral marginal constriction slight, profile (to beginning of hinder slope) level. Height of clypeus considerably exceeds half that of the facial space. The caput appears to usurp the larger portion of the cephalothorax. Eyes rather small, in three widely separated groups, a central one of four forming a small, nearly vertical quadrangle on a slight prominence of the upper part of the anterior extremity of the caput. Each of the other groups, of two nearly contiguous eyes placed horizontally, is situated far below, near the lower fore corner of the caput. Legs short, tolerably strong, not greatly different in length, 1, 2, 4, 3; furnished with spines on the metatarsi, tibiae, and genual jo'ints. The tarsi end with three claws, beneath which are one or more supernumerary opposed pectinated ones. Falces long, powerful, conical and vertical. |