OCR Text |
Show 590 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON EGYPTIAN SPIDERS. [June 20, tive sizes and position of the eyes and its much smaller size, but the speckled appearance of the abdomen, and the spots on the femora of the first two pairs of legs; the markings on the abdomen ot S. linnai being much larger and of a linear character ; the palpal organs also, in that species, extend much nearer to the fore extremity o A h e digital joint, besides being quite different in structure ; the radial joint also is shorter in proportion to the cubital, and is armed with two or three long and rather strong spines. Gen. ARTAMUS, L. Koch (changed to Artanes by T. Thorell). A R T A N E S BIGIBBA, sp. n. Immature female, length 2\ lines. The cephalothorax is of the ordinary form ; it is of a yellowish grey colour, more or less completely mottled and suffused with yellowish brown, generally leaving a not very distinct pale patch on each side of the hinder part of the caput. The eyes are small and in the usual position ; those of the hind central pair are further from each other than each is from the hind lateral on its side ; and the relative position of the eyes of the front row is similar ; both rows are curved, the convexity of the curve directed forwards; but the front row is much the shortest, and most stronglv curved. The*%sare long and moderately strong; their relative length being 2, 4, 1, 3 ; they are of a pale yellowish hue, more or less mottled and spffused with white ; and the femora of the first pair are marked rather underneath in front with a strongish longitudinal stripe of deep chocolate-brown (in some examples almost black) ; in some examples the legs have an obscurely annulate appearance ; the tibiae and metatarsi of the legs are furnished with longish spines. The palpi are similar in colour to the legs ; and the humeral joints of those of the first pair have a large black spot underneath the fore extremity. The falces are short, straight, vertical, subconical, of a whitish-yellow colour, tipped with yellow-brown. The maxillae and labium are of the normal form, and, with the sternum, of the same colour as the falces. The abdomenis of a somewhat subpentagonal form, truncate before, and broadest towards the hinder extremity, which, however, is of a somewhat pointed form ; at its broadest part on either side at the margin is an obtuse gibbosity or protuberance, which, together with the sides and the hinder part, has a wrinkled appearance after preservation in spirit of wine ; the colour of the abdomen is greyish white mixed with yellowish grey-brown, and in some examples with chocolate red-brown, assuming an indistinct pattern of a longitudinal central line on the fore half, which emits a short lateral oblique line from either side near its middle, followed by two or three subangular transverse lines, or chevrons. Four examples, all females and immature, were found among herbage near Alexandria. |