| OCR Text |
Show 548 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON EGYPTIAN SPIDERS. [June 20, not quite contiguous to each other, each fore lateral eye> being; equally close to the hind central eye on its side, and each hmd lateral eye still closer (almost contiguous) to the hind central nearest to it; the interval between those of the front row (or the fore laterals) is about equal to their longest diameter; the height of the clypeus, which projects a little at its lower margin, is rather less than halt that of the facial space. A w i The legs are moderately long and strong, of a lightish orange-yellow colour; and their relative length appeared to be 4, 1, 2, 3 ; the femora are the strongest, especially at their posterior extremities, which are abruptly enlarged on the upperside close to the articulation, but run evenly thence to the anterior extremities ; they are furnished, but not very thickly, with hairs; the tibise and metatarsi of the first and second pairs are armed beneath with a double series of long and strong sessile spines ; the other two pairs of legs have bristles (or very slender spines) in a similar situation ; each tarsus terminates with two curved claws springing from a distinct supernumerary claw- (or heel) joint. The palpi are short and not very strong ; their colour is yellow, paler than that of the legs ; and they are furnished with hairs and bristles ; the cubital and radial joints are short, the former is bent downwards, the latter is rather the longest and strongest; the digital joint is narrow, tapering from the middle to the fore extremity, and no broader than, but almost double as long as, the radial; the palpal organs consist of a very large and prominent oval yellowish lobe with a largish curved, pale brownish yellow, pointed process at its anterior extremity. The falces are moderately long, but not very strong, directed backwards towards the labium, furnished in front with bristly hairs, and similar in colour to the cephalothorax. The maxilla and labium are of normal form, the latter being rather large; these parts, with the sternum, are similar to the legs in colour. , The abdomen is of an oval form, moderately convex above, and covered both above and below (like O. punctatus Cambr., and O. loricatus, Sim.) with a bright reddish yellow-brown somewhat corneous scutum, the approximate edges, according as they are more or less separated, showing a greater or less interval of pale yellowish membranous integument. It appears, from observations made by M . Simon, "Araneides nouv. ou peu connus du midi de l'Europe," M<im. Liege, 2e ser. t. v. p. (sep. cop.) 45, that the Spider he describes has the power to bring the edges of this supra-abdominal and subabdominal scutum together, or to separate them, at will * the spiracular plates are continuous with each other, and, extending forwards, cover the pedicle by which the abdomen is connected with the cephalothorax ; this pedicle is longer and more distinctly developed than in most other Spiders; the upper scutum is very highly polished and glossy, and it is thinly but evenly covered with minute tubercles, each of which supports a fine bristly hair : the spinners are short and inconspicuous; they are enclosed |
