OCR Text |
Show 732 MR. A. G. BUTLER ON [Dec. 2, two on each side and two behind, the anterior lateral processes bifid, owing to their confluence with the lateral oculiferous tubercles ; a prominent, nearly circular, central oculiferous tubercle bearing the four central eyes ; the anterior pair of eyes larger than the posterior pair, nearer together, but separated from each other by a longer distance than from the posterior pair ; abdomen scutiform, the anterior margin truncated; the anterior surface oblique, longitudinally sulcated and with a transverse series of six mammiform tubercles upon the ridges between the sulci; a large humeral process on each side, its length six millimetres, its form cylindrical, expanding laterally towards the culmen, which bears three well-developed and slightly incurved conical projections, the central projection forming the apex of the process and therefore considerably more prominent than the two lateral ones ; a short distance behind each process is a small impression followed by a small conical process ; lateral margins of the abdomen arched and indistinctly transversely sulcated, posterior extremity obtusely pointed ; pectoral shield scutiform, truncated in front; coxae short, rugose; relative length of legs I, 2, 4, 3,; tibiae and tarsi flattened and longitudinally sulcated ; falces large, rugose, with four well-developed teeth on each internal margin and with a very powerful curved movable fang; palpi flattened, hairy, the two terminal joints expanded and longitudinally sulcated. Length of cephalothorax and abdomen together 17 millimetres. Antananarivo (Kingdon) ; Fianarantsoa (Shaw). I have compared three specimens of this singular species. It is allied to C. paradoxa of Java (Plate LVIII. figs. 5, 5 a, 5 b) and C. avernalis. 7. CCEROSTRIS AVERNALIS, Butler. Fianarantsoa (Shaw). •-- ,'.. I was pleased to find even an injured example of this species among Mr. Shaw's Spiders, as, although of little value as a specimen, it is in a sufficiently recognizable condition to prove the constancy of the specific characters. 8. EPEIRA LOCUPLES, n. sp. (Plate LVIII. figs. 2, 2 a, 2 b.) 2 . Cephalothorax black ; caput clothed with whitish hair ; legs castaneous, the tarsi orange-yellow, tarsal claws black; tibiae and tarsi of third and fourth pairs of legs broadly banded with black; palpi castaneous ; maxillae and labium blackish, with whitish borders; pectoral shield yellowish, with black border; abdomen sordid whitish (probably bright chrome-yellow in life), two or three transverse lines across the anterior margin and six central impressed dots in pairs black ; ventral surface black, with a triangular basal marking, a semicircular patch on each side, and two transverse ellipsoidal spots a short distance in front of the spinnerets, sordid whitish (probably yellow in life). Cephalothorax of the usual form, almost circular behind the caput, its posterior area deeply depressed and with two lateral diverging sulci |