OCR Text |
Show 1870.] REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON SINAITIC SPIDERS. 821 its upper surface, and projecting over the base of the cephalothorax its fore margin is truncate ; the rest is considerably indented, forming strong lobes all round, especially towards the hinder part, which is somewhat transversely rugulose; its colour on the upperside is yellow, strongly marked with a complex zigzag or dentated pattern of a deep brown, which it is impossible to describe accurately and intelligibly, though easily seen in tbe figure. The yellow portions are more or less clothed with a silky white pubescence ; the lateral lobes are yellow, and each is divided by a broad deep-brown band which runs over them from the upper- to the underside ; the fore part of the abdomen is rather thickly furnished with short erect dark spiny bristles; the sides are yellow, striated with deep brown ; and the underside is deep black-brown with yellow blotches and markings; the spiracular plates are of a reddish-brown colour, margined before and inside with yellow. An adult female of this fine species, which I believe to be undescribed, was captured by Mr. Lord inland from Massowah ; and I have great pleasure in naming it after its captor, by whose kindness I am able to describe and figure it. N.B.- In describing the pattern on the abdomen of this (and other intricately marked) species, the dark colour might be taken as the ground-coloox; but I have above assumed the lighter colour to be so. Genus G A S T E R A C A N T H A. G A S T E R A C A N T H A LEPIDA, n. sp. (Plate L. fig. 2.) Female adult: length of abdomen 3 lines, breadth 5\ exclusive of the spines ; length of the Spider 4\ lines, breadth to extremity of the lateral spines 8 lines. The cephalothorax is similar in general form and appearance to that of many other allied species ; the caput is elevated, the occiput being the highest part, and its high transverse ridge is divided across the middle by a notch or groove into two quasi-segments; its colour is a deep rich chestnut-brown ; the falces are rather deeper in colour, and the legs (which are moderately strong, not very long, and furnished with hairs and slender bristles) are of a rich deep brown colour ; the palpi are similar in colour. The maxillae, labium, and sternum are normal in structure and of a jet-black colour : the eyes also are normal in position ; four form a small trapezoid, of which the fore side is the shortest, and are seated on a tubercle near the middle of the lower fore margin of the caput; and on either side is a lateral pair widely removed from the central square; the eyes of these lateral pairs are contiguous to each other, and each pair is seated on a strong lateral tubercular prominence of the fore corner of the caput. The abdomen is of the usual horny texture ; its breadth is double its length; and it is armed with six prominent sharp spines of different lengths, none being very long; two spring from the ends of the fore margin, and are directed a little forwards; behind each of these is another (the longest of the six) very slightly curved, and whose direction is in the least possible degree backwards: the |