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Show 772 MR. R. I. POCOCK ON ETHIOPIAN SPIDERS. [June 15, stridulation may be easily produced artificially, the notes on the coxa giving rise to a distinct ' click, click' when scraped against the spines on the maxilla, while the spines and hairs on the trochanters produce a sound resembling that which results from the rubbing of silk. A n organ identical in all essential details with that described above is to be met with in all the species known to m e that 1 refer to the following genera: -Hysterocrates, Phoneyusa, Monocentropus, Anoploscelus, Eumenophorus, and Encyocrates. I further venture to prophesy that it will be found both in Pelinobius and Loxomphalia when these genera come to be re-examined. It does not, on the contrary, exist either in the species of Scodra or of Mlaschlstopus, or of Selenogyrus : nor in any of the S. European genera examined by m e ( Chcetopelma, Ischnocolus), nor in those that inhabit Central and South America, all of which I have above referred to the Theraphosinae. Taking then into consideration the fact that the genera above mentioned as possessing this organ inhabit the same geographical area-for, so far as the Spiders are concerned, Socotra and Madagascar are distinctly Ethiopian in their affinities,-and that, in addition to the stridulating-organ, they possess other characters in common : for example, the subcentral position of the posterior sternal sigilla \ the almost total absence of spines on the legs and of teeth on the claws, the absence of tibial spurs in the male, except in Monocentropus where there is a small one,-these facts point strongly to the conclusion that these genera constitute a perfectly natural assemblage; an assemblage as natural, that is to say, as the Harpactirinae, Selenocosmiinae, or Ornithoctoninae. I propose therefore to classify them as a subfamily which may be termed the Eumenophorince. In the table of subfamilies printed on p. 744, this new group will take its place under the heading h2 as follows:- b2. Without any stridulating organ between the mandible and maxilla. a3. A stridulating organ present between the posterior surface of the maxilla and the anterior surface of the coxa of the 1st leg, consisting of a series of strong spines on the distal extremity of the maxilla and on the upper side of the coxa and trochanter of the 1st leg, of a fringe of close-set feathery hairs below and amongst which are some stout, long, plumose or simple bristles constituting the vibratory notes of the organ. b3. Without the stridulating organ above d escribed EUMENOPIIORIM:, nov. Tropical Africa, Socotra, Madagascar. TIIERAFIIOSIN.E. 1 Their submarginal position in the small example in the Museum referred to Encyocrates and mentioned on p. 747 is, I suspect, attributable to immaturity. |