EPEIRA., 393 
of which Mr. Sarg gives a very similar description to that of the one found at Cubil- 
guitz; and from Menché adult females. 
Epeira purpurascens, sp. n. 
Adult female, length 8 lines; adult male, length 5 lines. 
Cephalothorax dark reddish-brown, clothed, but not thickly, with greyish hairs, from some of which the 
surface (apparently) gets purple tints in some lights. 
The eyes of the central group are seated on a slight prominence, and form a quadrilateral figure whose posterior 
side is much shorter than the anterior; the eyes forming the posterior side are much smaller than those 
of the anterior, and are separated from each other by only about half a diameter’s interval. Those of each 
of the lateral pairs, which are smallest of the eight, are seated obliquely on a small tubercle, and are not 
quite, though almost, contiguous. The height of the clypeus is about equal to the diameter of a fore 
central eye. 
The falces are strong, vertical, similar to the cephalothorax in colour, and clothed with greyish hairs. 
The leys are rather long, strong, relative length 1, 2, 4, 3, of a dark yellow-brown hue, clothed with hairs, of 
which those on the tibia have a reddish hue, the rest dark, mixed with grey; they are also armed with 
spines, which, however, are neither very strong nor conspicuous. 
The palpi are similar to the legs in colour and armature. 
The maaille and labium are dark yellow-brown, with pale whitish margins at their extremities, and the sternum 
is of a similar hue. 
The abdomen is large, subtriangular, rounded before and obtuse behind; on the upperside and sides it is of a 
rich chocolate-brown, clothed thinly with long reddish bristles, and divided longitudinally by a central 
tapering yellowish stripe, reaching from end to end, and which has two somewhat lozenge-shaped enlarge- 
ments towards its anterior extremity. The underside is orange, clothed with reddish hairs, and with a 
large, black, central triangular area, whose posterior angle, close to the spinners, is truncated. The spinners 
are short, compact, and of a dark yellowish-brown colour. The genital aperture, which is of characteristic 
form, is furnished with an exceedingly long slender epigyne, bending sharply over from its fore extremity 
and, running parallel to the surface of the abdomen, reaches with its sharp point the base of the inferior 
spinners. 
The male differs in several respects from the female. The caput is much drawn out before, the eyes being on 
much stronger prominences, though their relative sizes and positions are similar. The falces are long and 
slender, directed backwards and much bent inwards below their base. The legs are yellow-brown, partly 
annulated with yellowish, and their spinal armature is much stronger and more conspicuous, the colour 
of the spines being mostly pale yellowish with bistre-brown bases. The tibize of the second pair are bent 
and much enlarged on their inner sides forwards, where the spinal armature is very strong, some of the 
spines being black. The palpi are short; the palpal bulb is of enormous development; the palpal organs 
are very prominent and complex, but no description would avail for their satisfactory comprehension, which 
can be obtained only from accurate figures. 
Hab. GuatTeMaLa (Sarg); Panama, Bugaba (Champion). 
Both sexes of this fine and distinct spider are contained in the collection made by 
Mr. Champion at Bugaba, Chiriqui. An adult female is also in Mr. Sarg’s Guate- 
malan collection, but I can find no special note as to its locality. 
Epeira gravabilis, sp. n. 
Aduli female, length 3 lines. 
Cephalothoraw rather short and broad, but otherwise of normal form. Colour yellow-brown, with darker 
markings behind the ocular area and also along the normal grooves and indentations; the sides of the 
caput, which is very short, converge forwards. 
Eyes in the usual three groups. The four centrals form a small square, or trapezoid, perhaps a trifle longer 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Arachn. Aran., August 1889. ET 
