OCR Text |
Show 194 REV, O. P. CAMBRIDGE O N [Mar. 16, produced, of a somewhat truncate form at its upper extremity, not very dissimilar to that of Erigone humilis (Bl.) ; looked at in profile the occiput is a little roundly convex, with a hollow between its highest part and the thoracic junction. From the summit of the occipital convexity the caput slopes gradually to the fore central eyes, spreading out laterally on both sides into a strong tuberculiform elevation; at the summit of these elevations are the lateral pairs of eyes, from behind each of which a narrow indentation runs backwards. The whole of this fore slope of the caput (including the four pairs of eyes) is clothed pretty thickly with longish and, for the greater part, bent hairs, mostly diverging from the central longitudinal line and directed backwards; these hairs are very characteristic and give the Spider a very peculiar appearance. The eyes are small, seated in four rather widely separated pairs on black spots, and form a rather narrow transverse area, whose width is no more than half its length; the lateral pairs, seated (as before mentioned) on two strong tuberculiform elevations, are nearly in a straight line with those of the hind central pair; those of this latter pair are rather smaller than those of the fore central pair, and are separated by an eye's diameter; these two pairs form an oblong rectangular figure, whose length is about double its breadth ; and the interval between each eye of the hind central pair and the hind lateral eye nearest to it is equal to that between each of the former and the opposite fore central eye. The legs are slender and moderately long, their relative length being apparently 4, 1, 2, 3 ; they are furnished with hairs and a slender spine-like bristle on the upperside of each of the femoral and tibial joints. The palpi are short and furnished sparingly with hairs ; the cubital joint is bent and rather longer, but less strong than the radial; this latter has its fore extremity produced into a long double twisted apophysis, its extreme point being rather obtuse and directed outwards; about halfway along the outer side of this apophysis is a rather small but prominent, pointed, dark-coloured spine, not far in front of which is another small pale prominence. This part of the radial joint is not easy to be made out clearly ; the digital joint is of tolerable size; the palpal organs are highly developed and rather prominent, with one or two filiform black spines connected with them. The falces are small and directed backwards. The maxilla, labium, and sternum are of normal form. The abdomen is of ordinary form and projects well over the base of the cephalothorax ; it is of a dull blackish colour, suffused with yellowish on the fore part of the upperside, and its hinder portion marked with a series of 5 or 6 transverse curved yellowish lines, formed by tolerably distinct folds in the epidermis ; the spinners are short, small, and of a pale yellow colour, and the spiracular plates are inclosed in a large, somewhat quadrangular, yellow area. An adult male of this very distinct species was received from M. Eugene Simon, by whom it was found in Corsica. |