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Show 1879.] ARACHNIDA F R O M M A D A G A S C A R . 733 from the commencement of the depression on each side ; caput covered sparsely with long depressed hair, directed forward and projecting beyond the anterior margin ; a central shallow rounded depression ; oculiferous tubercles prominent, the central one X-shaped, the anterior pair of eyes much larger and wider apart than the posterior pair; the lateral tubercles slightly oblique, the anterior eyes upon them being larger than the posterior ; abdomen broad, oval, hairy in front; epigyne linguiform, with a well-defined marginal ridge ; pectoral shield pentagonal; falces acutely quadridentate on each interior margin, the third denticle from the proximal extremity being largest, movable fang curved and tolerably powerful; palpi hairy ; legs rather hairy, their relative length being 1, 2, 4, 3, the second and fourth pairs nearly equal. Length of cephalothorax and abdomen together 10 millimetres. Antananarivo (Kingdon). PYRESTHESIS, n. gen. (Thomisidee)1. Apparently nearest to Loxobates, Thorell. Length of cephalothorax rather greater than the width behind, and half as wide again as, the caput; dorsal surface to a little beyond the middle nearly flat, slightly sloping forwards, behind the middle abruptly sloping backwards; height just behind the middle equal to width at widest part; eyes occupying the whole anterior portion of the caput, oculiferous tubercles only indicated by little connecting ridges between the eyes; eyes arranged in two arched series, the anterior lateral eyes being the largest and the posterior lateral the smallest; central eyes forming a nearly perfect quadrangle; front margin of caput rounded, unarmed; external margin of falces with a smooth longitudinal ridge; legs very slightly compressed, nearly cylindrical, short, with a few scattered bristles but no distinct spines ; abdomen globular, very slightly longer than broad, very slightly convex below. Type P. cambridgii. 9. PYRESTHESIS CAMBRIDGII, n. sp. (Plate LVIII. figs. 6, 6 a, 6 5,6 c.) 2 . Cephalothorax black, tibiae banded with yellow; coxae olivaceous ; abdomen above yellow, with scarlet border; the yellow area crossed by three transverse broad black bands, the first and second of which are connected in the centre by a short longitudinal band, and the second and third at their extremities; the first of these bands is arched, and the two others are slightly angulated and clavate at their extremities; a fourth very abbreviate and disconnected transverse band followed by a rounded black spot upon the posterior area ; under surface dark olivaceous. Cephalothorax smooth, with scattered hairs upon the caput, the central oculiferous tubercle indicated by a slight swelling of the sur- 1 The Eev O P. Cambridge, to whom I sent a sketch of this Spider, writes that it "would seem to be near Syurma, Simon ; but the thoracic region is apparently too much elevated for that genus." |