OCR Text |
Show 1873.] GENERA AND SPECIES OF ARANEIDEA. 117 in form, the point of junction being very small; on the inner side the tarsus and metatarsus and a portion of the tibia is a compact fringe of close-set hairs. The tarsi of ail the legs terminate with three claws, the superior pair being slightly of an S form, the inferior one much smaller and sharply bent downwards ; the tarsal claws of the first pair of legs are smaller than those of the rest, those of the fourth pair being the strongest and most conspicuous. In the form of the legs consists one of the most conspicuous resemblances between Otiothops and Palpimanus; they are furnished only (and inconspicuously) with hairs. The palpi are short and strong, similar to the legs in colour, aud similarly furnished with hairs. The radial is stronger than the cubital joint, and is of a somewhat protuberant or tumid form on the upperside : the digital joint is long and of a somewhat tapering form ; its length exceeds that of the radial and cubital joints together. The palpal organs are large and well-developed, but simple, consisting chiefly of a large and nearly globular corneous lobe with some small projections and spines at their fore extremity. The falces are of moderate size, vertical, and subconical in form. The maxillae are strong, curved, inclined towards and over the labium, and considerably enlarged near the middle on their outer sides; the palpi are inserted low down and almost behind them (as looked at from the underside of the spider). The labium is of a somewhat subtriangular form, its sides rather curvilinear, and its apex pointed. The sternum is large and of an elongate heart-shape ; its surface is covered thickly with small punctuose marks. The falces, maxillee, labium, and sternum are all nearly similar in colour to the cephalothorax, the sternum being perhaps a little darker than the rest. The abdomen is of a short oval form, moderately convex above, blunter and slightly broader at the hinder than at the fore extremity ; its colour on the sides and upperside is a deep chocolate red-brown, minutely mottled with yellowish ; the epidermis is of a somewhat coriaceous texture, and sparingly clothed with short fine hairs ; when looked at from beneath, the pedicle which joins it to the thorax is of a shining corneous nature, of a deep red-brown colour, and continuous with the similarly coloured and united spiracular plates. Continuous with these and spreading upwards and forwards over the sides in an oblique direction, a considerable portion of the underside of the abdomen is of a coriaceous texture and of a shining yellowish red-brown colour ; behind this, for a small space towards the spinners, the colour of the abdomen is pale yellowish. The spinners are two in number, very short, contiguous to each other, and of a pale whitish-yellow colour. The adult female is rather larger than the male, but similar in colours and general characters; immature examples of both sexes were of a more or less pale orange-yellow colour on all the fore parts, the abdomen being whitish drab-yellow. Adults as well as immature examples of both sexes were received from Ceylon from Mr. Thwaites in 1871. |