OCR Text |
Show 692 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON N E W [Nov. 18, The female differs from the male in having the black abdominal bands broader and more distinctly marked, and the leaf-shaped reddish marking, consequently, narrower and more distinct; the black patch at the occiput is also larger. Received from Mr. Atkinson, by whom they were kindly brought to me, with other Spiders, from N e w Zealand. PHYCOSOMA, gen. nov. Allied to Atkinsonia, but differs in the still shorter and almost round cephalothorax, the much narrower and oviform sternum, the longer legs (4, I, 2, 3), and the form of tbe abdomen, which last pro jects over the cephalothorax so as to conceal the greater portion of it. The cuticle of the abdomen is not coriaceous, nor covered with pock-marks. The eyes and ocular area are very nearly like those of Atkinsonia. The whole Spider bears considerable resemblance to the genus Phycus, Cambr. PHYCOSOMA CECOBIOIDES, sp. n. (Plate LII. fig. 6.) Adult female, length T x ¥ of an inch. The ocular area is large and prominent, with a strongly impressed clypeus ; the fore side of the square formed by the four central eyes is longer than the posterior side, and the interval between the hind-central pair of eyes is slightly less than that between each and the hind-lateral eye "next to it. The colour of the cephalothorax is dull brownish yellow, with a distinct black marginal line; the upper part of the caput, excepting a patch surrounding the hind-central eyes, is brown-black. The legs are of tolerable length, yellow-brown tinged with reddish, and are furnished with hairs and slender bristles only. The palpi are similar in colour and armature to the legs. The maxillee and labium were almost concealed by tbe folding over them of the anterior legs, which could not be removed without serious damage to the specimen ; but they appeared to be very similar in form and size to those of Atkinsonia nana. Falces very small, and similar in colour to the cephalothorax, suffused with blackish at the extremities. Sternum dull brownish yellow, with a broadish dusky black margin. Abdomen large, oval, and greatly projecting over the cephalothorax; it is of a blackish-brown hue ; on the upperside is a large, rather obscure, yellow-brown, tapering, somewhat dagger-shaped, interrupted, longitudinal central marking, mostly covered with white cretaceous spots and patches ; the sides also have each a longitudinal yellow-brown marking, similarly covered with white. The central marking on the upperside appears to consist of the ordinary angular bars exaggerated, especially the anterior one, which is preceded by two large, nearly parallel longitudinal patches of the same colour. Spinners exceedingly short. This minute Spider, which has a great general resemblance to some species of HJcobius, was received from M r. Atkinson, by whom it was found in New Zealand. |