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Show 288 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON NEW ARANEIDEA. [Mar. 4, intermediate spine on its side, and a little divergent from each The anterior spines are the shortest and weakest; and each divides the outer side of the abdomen pretty exactly. The anterior and posterior spines have a browner hue than the other two; and all have a longitudinal yellow stripe underneath. The abdomen is of a yellow, or yellow-brownish, colour on the upperside. The sigilbe are small; those on the anterior margin are normal in number, 10, but those on the hinder part are 8 only. The underside is black, spotted and reticulated with yellow. The cephalothorax is dark brown, thinly clothed with fine hoary hairs. The legs are dull yellowish brown, obscurely marked and an-nulated with a deeper hue. This Spider is not, I think, identical either with 67. lepelletieri, Guerin & Walck., or with Plectana preetextata, Dol., as surmised by Mr. Butler, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. M a y 1873, pp. 155 & 172. The proportions of the length and breadth of the abdomen of the former are quite different; and, judging from examples in m y possession of the latter (from Amboina and Sumatra), the form of the intermediate spines is distinct. Gasteracantha helva, Bl., has never before been figured ; so that the figure given here, from Mr. Blackwall's type specimens in my possession, will perhaps be of assistance to arachnologists in the determination of the species. Hab. East Indies. GASTERACANTHA PROPINO.UA, sp. n. (Plate XXVII. fig. 16.) Adult female: length of the widest transverse diameter, exclusive of the spines, nearly 4 lines ; longitudinal diameter 2f lines. This species is nearly allied both to Gasteracantha blackwalli, Keys. (Madagascar), and G. sororna, Butl. (Madras), but differs in several material respects from both. Among other differences, the anterior spines in the former are placed further forwards, and the posterior spines in the latter are considerably shorter. The cephalothorax is brown-black, with a yellow-brown patch on each side of the four central eyes ; and is clothed sparingly with coarse hoary hairs. The legs are brownish yellow; the tibiae, tarsi, and metatarsi darkest, and (apparently) with still darker markings. The abdomen is subtriangular, bollow-truncate in front; it is of a clear yellow-brown hue, the spines deep black-brown with steel-blue (but not very strong) metallic reflections. The sigilla are small, 10 on the fore margin, and 8 on the hinder margin ; the two central ones of these last are very minute and close together. The anterior spines are the shortest and weakest, and each, as nearly as possible, equally divides the side on which it is placed ; the intermediate ones are long, strong, equal to the side of the abdomen in length, almost equally tapering throughout, and project outwards and a little backwards ; the posterior spines are long, but not so long as the intermediate ones, and very much less strong, but much longer and stronger than the anteriors, and divergent. The underside of |