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Show 130 DR. T. THORELL ON SPIDERS FROM NEW [Mar. 2, 5. On some Spiders from New Caledonia, Madagascar, and Reunion. By T. THORELL. [Received February 24, 1875.] (Plate XXV.) Some considerable time ago I received from Dr. Aug. Vinson, the celebrated author of ' Araneides des iles de la Reunion, Maurice et Madagascar,' ** Voyage a Madagascar au couronnement de Radama II.,' & c , a little collection of Spiders, partly from New Caledonia and partly from Madagascar and Reunion, among which were a few new species which Dr. Vinson requested m e on a fitting opportunity to describe. The collection was accompanied by beautiful figures of some of the species sent, executed by Dr. Vinson himself, and by various interesting notices relative to their habits, which Dr. Vinson obligingly placed at m y disposal. Hindrances, which it was not in m y power to avoid, have prevented m y executing the commission thus received as early as I could have wished. Having, however, now obtained leisure for the purpose, I have not confined myself to describing those species only which appear to me to be new, accompanied by the figures I have received from Dr. Vinson, but I have also added more or less detailed descriptive notices of the other previously known species. Dr. Vinson's work, 'Aran, des Iles de la Reunion &c.,' has, as is generally known, met with a large and universal approval, and is justly considered one of the most valuable works treating on this interesting group of animals, especially on account of the numerous and important observations it contains relative to the habits and instincts of the species described. Tbe species of which he has treated have, through these observations as well as through Dr. Vinson's descriptions and figures made directly from living specimens, become of the greatest interest to European arachnologists, who are seldom able to learn more about the life of extra-European Spiders than the name of the country where they are met with, or to see other than more or less faded specimens preserved in spirit. Having now had the good fortune to receive original specimens of some of Dr. Vinson's species, I consider myself bound to avail myself of this opportunity to indicate the changes of colour that some of them undergo when (as is the case with the specimens I have received from Dr. Vinson) they have lain some considerable time in spirit, as also to make some additions to Dr. Vinson's descriptions, and thus to offer a little contribution to our knowledge of these Spiders. The species in question are as follows : - NEPHILA LABILLARDIERII, n.sp. (Plate XXV. figs. 1, 2.) Cephalothorace paullo breviore quam tibia cum patella quarti pans, nigro, bituberculato, pube densa subargentea tecto; sterno tubercula magno nigro pone labium instructo, tuberculis lateralibus eo minoribus, rufescentibus ; oculis lateralibus spatio diametro sua plus duplo majore disjunctis; q)edibus obscure testaceo-fuscis, |