OCR Text |
Show 1876.] ARACHNIDA FROM KERGUELEN'S LAND. 263 the cephalothorax, and about double its length ; its fore extremity is conterminous in its breadth with the cephalothorax, but is constricted laterally near the middle, the hinder extremity being rounded and obtuse; its upper surface is furnished with a few long pale hairs or bristles. Several examples of this minute but most interesting Arachnid were found under stones in Kerguelen's Land by Mr. Eaton. Unfortunately, from their extreme delicacy and small size, they had suffered severely from the action of the strong spirit in which they were immersed. Order ARANEIDEA. Fam. AGELENIDES. Gen. nov. MYRO. Cephalothorax oval, roundly truncated before, and moderately constricted on its lateral margins at the caput. Upper convexity moderate; profile-line slopes very gradually in a slightly curved line from the hinder slope to the ocular region ; clypeus unusually narrow, almost obsolete. Spinners short, those of the inferior pair longest and strongest. Eyes eight, unequal in size and forming a rather large and somewhat oval area, enclosed by two longitudinal curved rows of three eyes each • the curves directed from each other ; within this area, and towards its fore part, are two minute eyes near together in a transverse line. Legs not greatly different in relative length, which is 4, 1, 2, 3. Each tarsus terminates with three claws. Maxilla large, curved towards the labium, much and roundly protuberant on the outer sides towards their extremity, which is rather obliquely truncated ; the palpi issue from unusually near their lower extremities. Labium rather more than half the length of the maxillae, very difficult to be seen clearly; but its form is apparently oblong, slightly rounded at the apex. MYRO KERGUELENENSIS, sp. n. (Plate XIX. fig. 5.) Adult male. Length nearly 2\ lines. The cephalothorax is of a yellow brown colour, the margins surrounded with a fine black line ; the normal grooves and indentations are well marked, and suffused with dusky black, giving the thorax somewhat the appearance of radiating markings ; the ocular region is furnished with some bristly black hairs ; and some longer and finer ones are distributed along the central longitudinal line to the hinder slope. The eyes are unequal in size and form a largish hexagonal area on the fore part of the caput close to its fore margin ; they may be described either as in two longitudinal curved rows of three eyes each, with two minute ones in a transverse line towards the fore extremity of the enclosed area, or as four pairs, a hinder pair, two fore lateral pairs, and a fore central pair ; those of the hinder pair are sepa- |