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Show 148 ON SPIDERS FROM NEW CALEDONIA ETC. [Mar. 2, subtestaceus, basi nigricans; loco vulva callus transversus fer-rugineo- fuscus adest. Mamilla postica cylindrata, multo angustiores et paullo longiores quam antica, qua crassa et conica sunt; mamilla media fere duplo angustiores et brevior es quam postica. Mas ignotus. Patria. Madagascar, ubi banc speciem detexit eel. Alf. Grandidier. This species is no doubt closely allied to Thomisus tripunctatus, Lucas*; but I do not think that it is identical with that West-African species. In Th. tripunctatus, according to Lucas, the cephalothorax is prolonged on either side anteriorly (between tbe lateral eyes) into "a very sharp spine," the mandibles are constricted or sinuated on the outer side towards the apex, and the third pair of legs are longer than the fourth pair & c , which is not tbe case in tbe above-described Spider from Madagascar, kindly sent me by Dr. Vinson. In naming this Spider after Dr. Vinson I only utter a feeble expression of m y respect for his scientific merits and m y thankfulness for the kindness he has shown me. PEUCETIA LUCASII (Vins.). 1863. Sphasus lucasii, Vins. Aran. d. iles de la Reun. p. 35, pl. xiii. fig. 3. The colour of this beautiful Spider is much changed in examples preserved in spirit of wine ; the cephalothorax is of a dull and pale olive-green colour, the pars cephalica being limited posteriorly by a large \ / of a paler yellowish tint. The legs are yellowish brown, somewhat paler towards their base, brownish black at the extremity; the trochanters are blackish ; the thighs and patellae have a narrow blackish ring or spot at the apex. The abdomen is greenish, with a brownish band along the middle of the back; this band is limited on either side by a whitish band or line, which anteriorly, towards the base of the abdomen, is continued by a series of about four unequal, somewhat oblique, whitish spots. The olive-greenish belly shows two longitudinal yellow bands or lines, the space between these bands being of a darker brownish tint. The two small fore eyes are separated from each other (and from the large middle eyes) by an interval equalling their diameter; the interval between the large (fore) middle eyes is evidently greater than their diameter, but scarcely greater than the interval between them and the hind lateral eyes. The area of the four central eyes is about one fourth larger in front than behind, as long as broad in front; the fore central eyes are separated from the hind centrals by an interval about double as great as the diameter of the largest eyes. The hind series of eyes is slightly curved forward; these eyes are nearly of the same size (the centrals, however, slightly larger than the laterals), and are separated by nearly equal intervals, at least as great as the diameter of the hind centrals. The height of the cbypeus is somewhat greater than * Descr. d. Arachn. qui habitent le Gabon (Voyage au Gabon), in Thomson, Archives Entomol. ii. p. 24, pl. xii. figs. 3, 3a. |
