OCR Text |
Show 1 897.] MR. R. I. POCOCK ON ETHIOPIAN SPIDERS. 767 the hinder border and the ocular tubercle; the radiating grooves conspicuous ; tubercle small, transverse ; eyes small and compact, those of the front line slightly procurved, subequal and equidistant, the distance between tbe medians less than a diameter; the posterior median eye less convex, but covering a larger area than the posterior lateral. Lower surface of mandible armed internally with 10 strong teeth, the posterior half of this surface covered with numerous smaller granular teeth. Legs. Patella and tibia of 4th and of 1st slightly excelling the length of the carapace; the distal segments of the 3rd and 4th pairs covered with erect curled bristles somewhat as in Coremlo-cnemls, though less thickly ; the protarsal scopulae not distally incrassate as in Phonegusa and Hgsterocrates, the scopulae extending practically to the base of the segments in the legs of the 1st and 2nd pairs, but not covering half the segment in the 3rd, and represented by merely a small patch on the 4th ; the tarsal scopulae complete and thick on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, but very weak on tbe 4th, being intermixed with setae, and consisting of a narrow band on each side of the middle line. Measurements In millimetres. Total length 36 ; length of carapace 17, width 15 ; length of 1st leg 47, of 2nd 43, of 3rd 39, of 4th 52 ; patella and tibia of 1st 18, of 3rd 13-5, of 4th 18. Loc. Sierra Leone. A single female example (Surgeon-Capt. Clements). Some of the characters mentioned in the specific description may prove ultimately to be of generic importance as compared with Selenoggrus and other genera. Attentiou, for example, may be drawn to the scopulae and hair-armature of the 4th leg, tbe size of the granular area on the lower surface of the mandible, size of the eyes, &c. Genus SELENOGYRUS, nov. Carapace oval, elongate; fovea small, linear, but strongly pro-curved as in Sehnocosmla ; cephalic area moderately elevated ; ocular tubercle transverse, moderately large. Eges with anterior row nearly straight, slightly procurved; posterior row recurved. Mandibles without external scopula, armed below with a single row of teeth. Maxillce without stridulating organ, the basal inner angle, like the labium, thickly spinulose. Labium transversely oblong, at least one-third wider than loug. Legs moderately long, 4, 1, 2, 3; tbe 4th (measured from the base of the femur) considerably longer than the 1st; tarsal and protarsal scopulae entire on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd legs; tarsal scopula of 4th divided by a narrow band of setae ; that on the protarsus also almost entirely divided ; protarsal scopulae of 1st and 2nd legs broad only in the distal half of the segments, not extending quite to the base on the 1st, covering a little less on the 2nd, only occupying the distal half on the 3rd and the distal third on the 50* |