| OCR Text |
Show 1876.] REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON EGYPTIAN SPIDERS. 607 cubital, and (together with the digital) pretty densely clothed with black bristly hairs; the palpal organs have a strong, pointed process at their fore part, the point directed forwards and outwards ; between the base of this process and the outer margin of the digital joint is a small bluntish corneous, black-tipped point; and near the middle of the large basal lobe is a small prominent blunt-pointed process, with another of equal length springing at right angles from its base; on the outer side the digital joint has no terminal claw. The falces are dull yellowish, suffused with dusky brown. The maxilla and labium are pale yellow, and the sternum black-brown. The abdomen is broader behind than before ; it has all the characteristic markings on the upperside indicated by black lines and spots on a reddish yellow ground; the normal marking on the fore half is rather blunt-pointed behind, and broadest near the middle, whence on either side an oblique black line issues ; the sides are dull yellow, marked with short black lines and spots, some of which are disposed in oblique rows; the underside is pale yellow. A single example of this small but very distinct species was found near Alexandria ; in its colours and pattern it is very like Tarantula miniata, Koch, but is much smaller. LYCOSA INOPINA, sp. n. (Plate LX. fig. 16.) Lycosa proxima, Cambr. Spid. Palest. & Syr., P. Z. S. 1872, p. 316 (nee L. proxima, Koch). A careful comparison assures me of the identity of the Spider quoted in the above synonym with the species now recorded ; and I have now but little doubt that it is distinct from L. proxima, Koch, though nearly allied to it; the certainty, however, of this can only be ascertained by comparison of typical examples of both species ; meanwhile it seems best to describe the present species as a distinct one. The length of the adult male is a little over 2 lines; and it belongs to the monticola group. The central yellow longitudinal band on the cephalothorax is not very broad ; it is widest at the thoracic junction, comes abruptly to a point (sometimes obsolete) immediately behind the ocular area, and tapers to a point at its posterior extremity ; the lateral yellow bands are well defined, but irregular on the edges, and interrupted, leaving also a distinct brown marginal stripe ; the intermediate spaces form two broad dark yellow- brown bands marked pretty distinctly with converging black lines ; these bands are of a bright orange (and sometimes lemon) yellow colour ; the ocular area is black. The eyes differ little, if any thing, in size and position from those of L. inquieta, Cambr. The legs are long and moderately strong ; they are yellow, slightly marked and faintly annulated with dusky brown. Some have scarcely any markings or annulation visible. The 'palpi are black ; the radial and digital joints clothed densely with hairs; the palpal organs are rather simple, the chief charac- 40* |
