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Show 420 MR. H. R. HOGG ON AUSTRALASIAN SPIDERS. [Dec. 2, Group P A L Y S T E M. The group Paly stem is represented by Palystes only. Genus P al ystes L. Koch. Helicopis L. Koch, Die Arach. Austr. i. p. 495 (1874). Palystes L. Koch, Die Arach. Austr. vol. ii. p. 701 (1875); E. Simon, Rev. Spar. 1880, p. 42, et Hist. Nat. des Ar. vol. ii. p. 65 (1897). Type species, Palystes castaneus (Latr.) (P.frenatus L. Koch). P al ystes ign icom us L. Koch (loc. cit.). Described from a female from New Ireland, east of N. Guinea. In the British Museum are a male and female, brought by Mr. A. Willey from New Britain (same locality), doubtless the same as L. Koch's, and a female (Keyserling Coli.) from Brisbane, the latter not quite adult. Of the former pair the female is much richer in colouring, pale yellow stripes on darker ground down the sides of the abdomen and two round black spots on back, with pale yellow spot in between. Underneath the deep orange femora are dark brown stripes reaching from the anterior end two-thirds of the distance to posterior end; a dark brown shield on the underside of abdomen below the genital fold. The male, which is smaller, is uniformly pale orange and without any shield ; the legs are much thinner, but nearly as long as those of the female. In both specimens the front side-eyes are much larger than and touch the middle pair, which are half their diameter apart. Eyes all pale orange. In the Brisbane specimen, which I first thought must be different, the colouring is not so deep, the dark stripes underneath femora are absent as in male above, and the abdominal shield much fainter. The rear row of eyes also is slightly procurved, in the others straight. I append measurements (in millimetres) of all three :- Female (N. Ireland). Long. Broad. Cephalothorax .. . 12 I 106 k front. Abdomen 14 V. 9 Mandibles __ 5 = pat. i Pat. & Metat. Coxae. 'I r. & fem. tib. & tars. Legs ........... 1. 412 15 18 161 = 54 2. 412 15 17 15 = 511 3. 4 111 121 111 = 39j 4. 4 131 i3 1 131 = 44i Palpi .............. 2 5 H 4 = 161 |