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Show 738 MR. F. O. PICKARD CAMBRIDGE O N [June 16 remote from margin. Labium longer than broad, its apex studded across entirely with cuspules. Coxa of pedipalp more than twice its breadth; anterior distal angle produced; anterior basal angle studded with cuspules, more scattered and fewer towards disc. Legs spinose ; fourth pair longest. Tarsi and almost the whole of protarsi i. and ii. thickly scopulate; of iii. tarsus and half protarsus, of iv. distal end, of protarsus slightly, and tarsus, scopulate. Femur iv. with velvet pad on inner side. Tarsal claws 2 • inner claw with 7, outer with 3 denticles, of first pair of legs! Spinners 4; posterior pair a little less in length than tibia i. So far as I am aware, the female of this magnificent Spider has never been fully described, and the specimen taken is the first of this sex which has come into the possession of the British Museum of Natural History. A. geniculata is apparently not a rare Spider in the Amazonian forest. One female was found by Mr. Austen in a hollow tree at Breves, but we were unable to secure it. I saw, also, more than one far clown in the burrows of the Termites, underground, where it was useless to attempt a capture. The young ones to the number of a hundred or more crowded the entrance to one of these dens, running about over a broad thin sheet of webbing. The specimen described was, however, taken by myself from the hollow branch of a tree which had fallen in the forest near Santarem, the only one I was able to secure. Its presence was first detected by the slight white web spun over the end of the short decayed hollow stump, while far down within could be seen the pale banded legs of the spider. Fortunately- whether it is always the case or not I cannot say-there was also a bolt-hole, so that, after rattling with a stick down the hollow, out burst the spider with a strange rustle and pattering of its padded feet. Had it not |been for the noise, I should probably not have noticed it, for I never suspected an exit at the other end. With gloved hand in front and large prune-jar held open behind her, she stopped, but made no attempt to attack or bite at the obstacle in front. But now, when pressed, with lightning speed she whisked off a small cloud of fine down from the back of the abdomen on the upperside with the claws of the fourth pair of legs. Pressing her in front, she went backwards into the jar, and at once was secured. Mr. Bates mentions the poisonous character of the hairs of these great Spiders, he himself having suffered from them; and one has often observed a bare patch on the upperside of the abdomen, at its apex, of many of them, whence the fine pubescence has been apparently rubbed off. Putting these two links together, and connecting them with the action which I witnessed, I am convinced myself-though I should need far more proof before I would definitely assert that such was really the case-that the spider whisks off these fine hairs in order to protect itself. It is true that, though I caught upwards of 150 large Spiders, I never saw one, except the above, act in this way, |
