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Show 1870.] REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON SINAITIC SPIDERS. 823 lower row are larger than the laterals, and each is further from the other than from the lateral on its side ; the four form a curved line of less length than that formed by the two large eyes above them, from which they are separated by half a large eye's diameter, and from the lower margin of the clypeus by rather more than that space. The legs are very long, moderately strong, and furnished with hairs, bristles, and long slender spines. Some of the legs were a good deal fractured ; but their relative length appeared to be 4, 3, 1,2; those of the fourth pair greatly exceeded the rest, which did not seem to vary much in their relative length ; the femora were marked on the uppersides with stripes and irregular bands of brown. The palpi are short and moderate in strength ; they are similar in colour and armature to the legs; the cubital joint is shorter but a little stronger than the radial; the digital joint is not large, it is about equal in length to the radial and cubital together, and it is of a yellow-brown colour; the palpal organs are neither very prominent nor complex, they have a sharp projecting corneous prominence at their outer extremity. The maxillee are not very long or strong ; but they incline towards the labium, which is broad, somewhat quadrate, rather narrower at its apex than at its base; its colour is yellow-brown, the apex sandy yellow. The sternum is very short, heart-shaped, pointed behind, and hollow on its fore margin. The abdomen is small and of an oval form; in the example described it was much shrunk and shrivelled; but it appeared to have an irregular dark yellow-brown longitudinal band on either side of the median line, leaving a broad central longitudinal strongly dentated yellow band terminating just above the spinners. An adult male of this Spider was obtained by Mr. Lord in a wady near Jebel Musa, Sinai. The length of the hinder pair of legs, and the constricted form of the cephalothorax, constitute very strong specific characters in this apparently hitherto undescribed species of a now numerous genus. EXPLANATION OF PLATE L. Fig. 1. Argiope lordii, $ , p. 820. a. Fore right view of cephalothorax and falces. b. Profile, without legs. c. Underside, without legs. d. Natural length. 2. Gasteracantha lepida, $ , p. 821. a. Fore right view of cephalothorax and falces. b. Profile, without legs. c. Underside, without legs. d. Natural size (length and breadth). 3. Lycosa prcelongipcs, $ , P- 822. a. Fore right view of cephalothorax and falces. b. Underside of cephalothorax. c. Palpus. el. Tarsal and metatarsal joints of leg of first pair. e. Profile of cephalothorax, without legs. /'. Natural length. P R O C ZOOL. Soc-1870, No. LV. |
