OCR Text |
Show 700 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON NEW [Nov. 18, abroad central longitudinal band marked with yellowish brown just behind the eyes. The region of the thoracic junction is a little raised and divided into two subcorneal points by a longitudinal cleft. The legs are rather short, their relative length 1, 2,4, 3 ; those of the first and second pairs are much the longest and nearly equal in length; the femoral joints strong, and armed along the outer side with two rows of very minute spinous tubercles. The colour of the legs is similar to that of the cephalothorax, obscurely annulated with pale yellowish brown and marked irregularly with red-brown. The tarsi terminate with three claws, each one differing from the rest in strength and curvature. The palpi are short and similar to the legs in colour and markings. The abdomen is very large, and irregularly humped or protuberant on its surface; the two leading protuberances are on each side towards the fore part of the upper side, very divergent, and rather directed backwards, the most prominent outer part of each being slightly pointed. The ground-colour of the abdomen is similar to that of the legs, broadly mottled and marked with a greyish yellow-brown hue, chiefly in a transverse direction, just in front of and including the two main protuberances, as well as on the sides, where a bold and obliquely striped appearance is given ; in the middle of the hollow of the fore extremity (which projects partly over the base of the cephalothorax) is a largish oblong dark reddish-brown patch. The spinners are short, compact, and of a dark reddish-brown hue. A single example of this Spider (the first I have seen of the genus from New Zealand) was contained in the collection kindly brought to me by Mr. Atkinson in 1878. THLAOSOMA HECTORI, sp. n. (Plate LII. fig. 8.) Adult female, length very slightly over 2 lines; breadth of abdomen at the widest part 3 J lines. This species may be distinguished from Thlaosoma atkinsonii not only bv its smaller size, but by the greater proportionate breadth of the abdomen, which, while hearing a somewhat similar general resemblance, is much more shrunken and pinched, giving it a still more boldly protuberant appearance. The outer sides of the posterior extremity of the abdomen are also very prominent. The cephalothorax and legs are of a dull, somewhat olive-tinged yellowish hue ; the sides of the caput are rather darker, and the legs, which are considerably longer than those of T. atkinsonii, have a very faint appearance of clouding, or annulation, with dull yellowish brown. The abdomen is of a dull yellowish colour, clouded with dark yellow-brown, and strongly tinged on the fore part with dark rusty brown. A single specimen was received in 1879 from Captain F. W. Hutton, by whom it was found at Dunedin, N e w Zealand. |