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Show 546 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON EGYPTIAN SPIDERS. [June 20, rior than at its posterior extremity; it is rather depressed, and projects considerably over the base of the cephalothorax ; its colour is a dull testaceous yellow covered with irregular cretaceous white spots, leaving, however, near the fore half of the upperside, a tolerably well-defined longitudinal central cruciform dull brownish marking; the shaft of the cross tapers to a point posteriorly, near which, generally, an oblique line goes off on either side; the spinners are normal; in front of the usual six is an inframammillary organ similar to that of other spiders whose females, like the present, have a calamistrum on the metatarsi of the fourth pair of legs ; the anus has the same curious fringe as other species of this and the allied genus (Uroctea, Duf.). The female resembles the male in general characters, but is rather larger, and often has two or more indistinct brownish spots on the hinder part of the abdomen ; as above mentioned, the metatarsi of the fourth pair of legs has a calamistrum, or series of curved bristles, concluded to be intended for carding the silk emitted from the inframammillary organs. Mons. Eugene Simon (Les Arachnides de France, ii. p. 6) doubts the existence of these organs, and of the calamistrum, in this genus, or at least significantly remarks that he has been unable to discover them in any species he has examined. I do not, however, feel the smallest doubt that these characters will be found in all the species-both in the females, one (inframammillary organ) at least in the males. The hairs on the legs of these Spiders (together with those of the calamistrum), appear to be more easily rubbed off than in most other Spiders ; and hence several females of this species have no hairs or bristles on the legs at all. Possibly M . Simon has only met with examples whose legs have accidentally been denuded of their armature. Undoubtedly a female of QHcobius domesticus, Luc, sent m e from Tangier by M . Simon himself, has a calamistrum well marked on one of the posterior legs, but no trace of any on the other. The bristles forming this organ are proportionally longer and slenderer than in many other spiders similarly armed. The inframammillary organ, although narrow and, like that of other spiders, only just elevated above the surrounding surface, is yet, I think, unmistakable in both sexes of all the species known to m e (ten in number). M. Simon thinks that I have mistaken a mere transverse fold of the skin for it; if he will, however, examine this fold under a strong magnifier, I think its mammillary nature will be sufficiently evident. G^COBITJS ANNULIPES. OUcobius annulipes, Lucas, Explor. en Algerie, vol. iv. p. 102, pl. ii. fig. 2. A single adult female of this Spider was found under a stone in Upper Egypt. Gen. UROCTEA, Duf. UROCTEA LIMBATA. Clotho limbata, C. Koch, Die Arachn. A n adult male and several females were found under stones at Alexandria in April 1864. |
