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Show 1896.] SPIDERS P R O M T H E L O W E R A M A Z O N S . 759 from a small tubercle, and with rufous pubescence. Sigilla present, submarginal. Labium broader than long, clothed with hairs, not cuspidate. Coxa of pedipalp twice as long as broad ; anterior basal angle studded with a central band of minute cusps: anterior apical angle slightly produced, not cuspidate: on its inner side, about the middle, towards the inner basal angle, is situated a series of 10 stout clavate spines, whose free ends play across the stout separate hairs on the base of the mandible; these together constitute the "lyra" and " pecten" of the stridulating-organ. Legs short and stout. Femora not spinose ; patellae i., ii., and iv. not spinose, iii. with one or two spines. Tibiae i. and ii. with three spines on inner side towards apex, which is scopulate ; iii. aud iv. with a few spines on either side. Protarsi i. and ii. armed beneath with 5 and 6 or 7 spines respectively ; of iii. and iv. also spinose. Tarsi i. and ii. short, slightly curved, transversely striate above, clothed with a scopula; iii. and iv. not scopulate. Tarsal claws 3; superior pair armed beneath with a double series of 6-7 denticles. Tarsal claw of pedipalp with a single row of 5-6 denticles. Abdomen shorter and broader than in M. rufescens. Mamillae four: posterior pair shorter than abdomen ; basal joint the longest, second and third equal: auterior pair a little over half the length of the basal joint of the posterior pair, almost as wide apart as their length. Comparative measurements In millimetres.- $. Carap. 11 long., 10 lat. Abd. 13 long., 9 lat. Cephl. area 7 long. Stern. 6 long., 1 lat. Coxa of pedipalp 4-5 long., 2-5 lat. Pedes, long. i. 3 5 - ii. 33-iii. 31-iv. 38. Artl. i. long. 5 - 2 - 5 - 8 - 5 - 6 - 6 - 3 - 5 . Artl. iv. long. 4 - 5 - 2 5 - 8 - 5 - 4 - 7 - 8 - 5 - 4 . Postr. mam. 11 long. Artl. 4-3-5-3-5. Mandib. 5-5 long. Antr. mam. 2-5 long., 2 sept. Numerous specimens of the female sex of this handsome species were taken at night as they sat in the entrance of the tube of their large " Agelenoid " webs in the forest near Santarem. Many were also taken under logs of wood, where the web and tube assume the character of those of the genus Ccelotes in Europe. MELODEUS NIGER, n. sp. (Plate XXXIII. figs. 2, 5.) $. 20 mm. long. Type in coll. Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Hab. Santarem, Lower Amazons. 2 •-Colour. Carapace sepia-brown, clothed with silky rufous pubescence. Abdomen deep brown, clothed with grey hairs; having on the dorsal area a double series of 5 obliquely transverse rufous bars, the last three often interrupted at their extremities ; breaking up into irregular spots towards the spinners. Legs, sternum, and labium deep brown, clothed with black hairs and dark grey pubescence. Mandibles black, clothed above with rufous pubescence. Carapace longer than broad; cephalic area more than half the length of the carapace. Central fovea deeply recurved |
