OCR Text |
Show 564 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON NEW ARANEIDEA. [June 19, The labium is similar in colour to the maxillae ; and is of a somewhat subtriangular form, rounded at the apex; it is large in comparison with the size of the maxillae, its apex reaching very nearly to their extremities. The sternum is large, heart-shaped, truncated at its anterior extremity, of a yellowish colour, and clothed thinly with coarse hairs. The abdomen is short, broadest and rounded at its hinder extremity. This part is prolonged into a kind of flap which bends downwards and underneath, so as totally to conceal the spinners, whose number and form consequently could not be discerned. According to Dr. L. Koch (Die Arachn. Austr.) the spinners of this genus are two in number. The colour of the abdomen is of a darker hue than the cephalothorax; its whole surface is rugulose and clothed with coarse, bent, spiny bristles and hairs. The example described was much disfigured by extraneous substances, dirt and dust, accumulated and retained by its peculiar curved bristly armature. A single example of this remarkable Spider was received some time since from Ceylon, where it was found, and kindly forwarded to me among many other Spiders, by Mr. G. H. K. Thwaites. The type of this genus is Australian ; and its close affinity to Ste-phanopis (Cambr.) is very evident. The discovery of a second species, so nearly allied to the Australian one, gives another proof of a similarity between the Ceylon and Australian Arachnids. Two other forms common to these two regions are the remarkable genera Amy cle, Cambr., and Miagrammopes, id. Although nearly allied to Cryptothele verrucosa, L. Koch, the present Spider may be easily distinguished by a great difference in the relative size and position of the eyes. Fam. ERIPIDES. Gen. ERIPUS, Walck. E R I P U S auiNauEGiBBOsus, sp. n. (Plate LVI. fig. 5.) The cephalothorax is broad and round behind, and much constricted laterally at the caput; this latter part is elevated at its fore part into two considerable conical divergent eminences, and has a third eminence of a rather stronger and blunter form at the occiput. The surface of the cephalothorax is granulose; the caput is of a reddish orange-yellow brown, suffused more or less on the sides with dark red-brown, in which colour it joins with the line of the thoracic region; the summit of the occipital eminence, as well as a stripe running from it forwards, is bright yellow ; and the facies has three dark-brown perpendicular streaks; the outer ones are somewhat sinuous, the middle one straight; the three eminences are furnished with short bristly hairs. The eyes are in three transverse rows, 2, 2, 4 ; the lower or foremost row is the shortest; and the hinder one is curved, the convexity of the curve being directed backwards. Those of the first row are amber-coloured, and divided by rather over two diameters' interval; those of the next row are larger, and are placed in front of the base of the two conical eminences on the caput, being separated by an |