OCR Text |
Show 1897.] MR. R. I. POCOCK ON ETHIOPIAN SPIDERS. 74l spine beneath and four in front; tibia of 4th with two spines beneath and two in front, protarsus with one apical beneath and about five in front; all the spines intermixed with coarse bristles. Measurements In millimetres. Total length 16*5 ; length of carapace 8, width 6; length of palp 9, of 1st leg 13'5, of 2nd 12-5, of 3rd 12-3, of 4th 16. Loc. East London (H. A. Spencer). A single female example. Apart from the characters pointed out in the generic diagnosis, this new Spider differs from Euhrachycercus iu its much shorter legs, the carapace for example being one half instead of one third the length of the 4th leg, and as long as the patella, tibia, and protarsus of the 1st. The two may be easily recognized as follows :- a. Ocular tubercle close to the anterior border of the carapace (not including the membranous edge); ungual tufts not so thick, not concealing the claws, which are distinctly toothed; legs relatively long and slender, scopula? of anterior pair broad ; all the tarsal scopulae divided, the posterior very broadly ; protarsi of posterior legs scarcely scopulate Eubra.chycercus, nov. b. Ocular tubercle distinctly removed from the margin ; ungual tufts very thick, concealing the claws, which are unarmed ; legs short and thick, with narrow scopulaa ; protarsal scopula of 3rd and 4th legs extending past the middle of the segment; tarsal scopulae only finely divided Brachionopus, nov. In addition to Leptopelma the two following genera of the family Barychelldce are found in the Ethiopian Begiou; namely, Plsenor and Cyphonisla, both described by Simon (Act. Soc. L. Bordeaux, 1889, pp. 409-411); but according to the diagnoses these genera fall into the section Barychelece, in which the ocular area is at least as long as wide. They both further differ from Brachionopus in having the anterior lateral eyes placed upon the anterior edge of tbe carapace. In some respects Plsenor seems to approach very closely to Euhrachycercus, but the two are certainly generically distinct, judging by what is said of the eyes of Pisenor, seeing that the ocular area of Euhrachycercus is transversely oblong, and nearly, if not quite, twice as broad as long. Cyphonisla differs from Plsenor, according to Simon, in having the ocular area narrower in front than behind, and the thoracic fovea lightly recurved instead of transverse, &c. The following species of these genera have been established:- Cyphonisla obesa, Simon, Act. Soc. L. Bordeaux, xiii. 1889, p. 409. From the Congo (Biver Quiliou). Plsenor notlus, Sim. loc. cit. p. 411. From the Zambesi. P. nlgellus, id. ibid. From the Congo (Landana). P. hohnell, id. Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1890, p. 125. From Kilimanjaro. Possibly to the genus Pisenor belongs the species described from Moschi as Idlommata leplda by Gerstaecker (Von der Decken's ' Beisen in Ost-Afrika,' iii. 2. p. 485). |