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Show 1897.] MR. R. I. POCOCK ON ETHIOPIAN SPIDERS. 751 pace 16-5, width 13-5; length of 1st leg 47, of 2nd 44, of 3rd 41-5, of 4th 5 2; patella and tibia of 1st 17, of 2nd 15-5, of 3rd 13, of 4th 17. Loc. S. Africa (the exact locality of this form is unfortunately not known). The species of Harpactira known to me may be recognized as follows:- Males. a. Lower cluster of bristles on outer surface of mandible farther removed from the oral fringe and composed of about four rows of spines; abdomen covered with a rich coating of fiery-red hairs ; carapace black, with a row of reddish hairs ; legs black, but the setse foxy-grey distally chryiogaster, sp. n. b. Lower cluster of notes on the mandible less close to the oral fringe and consisting of a single row of setae ; prevailing colour of body and limbs velvety black; setae on the limbs a little greyish at the tips, those on the abdomen a foxy red atra (Latr.). Females. a. Protarsus of 4th leg noticeably curved from base to tip (carapace about the same length as the patella and tibia of the 1st and 4th legs, distinctly shorter than the tarsus and protarsus of the 4th) curvipes, sp. n. b. Protarsus of 4th leg not noticeably bowed, straight. a'. Lower series of notes on the mandible not isolated from the rest of tbe oral fringe ; the upper series nearly horizontal and less regularly disposed ; (carapace lineate, shorter by half the tarsus than the tibia, protarsus, and tarsus of the 3rd leg ; equal in length to protarsus and tarsus of 4th leg) lineata, sp. n. b'. Lower series of notes isolated ; upper series forming a regular and oblique series. a2. Prevailing colour mouse-grey or brown, carapace dark with distinct white bands radiating from the fovea : carapace not less than tarsus and protarsus of 4th leg and tarsus, protarsus, and tibia of 3rd leg tigrina, Auss. b2. Prevailing colour black; carapace without white stripes, shorter than tibia, protarsus, and tarsus of 3rd leg and than protarsus and tarsus of 4th atra (Latr.). The following species are unknown to me :- Harpactira cafreriana, Walckenaer, Ins. Apt. i. p. 225, 1837 (sub Mygale). Judging from the description, this species from Caffraria differs from atra and tigrina in being of a clear reddish colour. Harpactira vlllosa, id. ibid. p. 226, from the Cape of Good Hope, is according to Walckenaer like cafreriana, but more hairy. Harpactira constrlcta, Gerstaecker in V on der Decken's ' Beisen in Ost-Africa,' iii., 2. p. 486, and H. chordata, id. ibid. p. 487, from Dafeta, Kilimanjaro. According to Karsch (Mon. Ak. Wiss. Berlin, 1878, p. 316), constrlcta was based upon a young example of chordata. 49* |
