OCR Text |
Show 1874.] REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON NEW DRASSIDES. 391 dark-coloured and slightly the smallest of the eight: the rest are pearly white; each of them is separated from the hind central eye nearest J;o it by an interval equal to its own diameter; and the height of the clypeus is as nearly as possible (in the middle) equal to a similar interval. The legs are not very long, but rather strong; their relative length is 1, 4, 3, 2 ; they are of a pale dull yellow-brown colour, furnished with hairs and a few spines on those of the third and fourth pairs ; each tarsus ends with two curved pectinated claws, beneath which is a small claw-tuft; and the hairs beneath the tarsi are numerous, short, and tolerably compact. The palpi are short but moderately strong ; the radial is slightly shorter than the cubital joint and has its outer extremity prolonged into a strong apophysis as long, or nearly so, as the joint itself; this apophysis tapers at first, but enlarges again near its extremity, which is obliquely truncate. The colour of the palpi is like that of the legs, and they are furnished with hairs and a few spine-like bristles, but the radial and digital joints are darker; the latter joint is of ordinary oval form and rather longer than the radial and digital joints together. The palpal organs are simple. The falces are rather short, straight, strong, slightly projecting forwards, and prominent near their base in front; their colour is a dark red-brown, and they are furnished with strong prominent black bristles. The maxilla are strong, curved, inclined towards the labium, broadly impressed across the middle, and obliquely truncated at their extremities. The labium is oblong, and reaches to the inner extremities of the maxillae; its colour is deep yellow red-brown, that of the maxillae being darker. The sternum is oval, pointed behind, slightly truncate before, and similar in colour to the cephalothorax. The abdomen * is oval, truncate before, moderately convex above ; it is of a dull yellowish-white colour, clothed with dark sooty brown hairs, and numerous strong upturned black bristly hairs just beneath the fore extremity, which projects over the hinder slope of the cephalothorax. Spinners short and of a yellow-brown colour; those of the inferior pair are longer and stronger than those of the superior pair. A single adult male was received from Mr. J. T. Moggridge, by whom it was found among the debris of an old wall, and kindly sent to me from Mentonein February 1874. In its general structure and colours it is of ordinary character; but the radial apophysis is peculiar, somewhat resembling that of D. troglodytes (Koch) as well as that of D. morosus (Cambr.) and D. bulbifer (Cambr.), and will serve to distinguish it at once from other species. It is a smaller Spider than D. troglodytes, with which, or with either of the others mentioned, * In some other examples received since this description was written, the abdomen has several pale angular bars or chevrons (the vertices of which are directed forwards) on the hinder half of its upperside. |