New Species of Araneidea. 153 



organs, one or two small prominent sinuous processes near their 

 outer extremity issuing from behind the coiled spine. 



The eyes of the hinder row in the male form a very nearly straight 

 line (its curve, if any, has its convexity directed forwards), and are 

 equally separated by an eye's diameter. The anterior row is curved, 

 the convexity of the curve also directed forwards. The four central 

 eyes form a large square ; the interval between those of each lateral 

 pair is less than an eye's diameter, and there is no more than half 

 that space between the hind and fore-central pairs of eyes. This last 

 pair are seated on a strong tubercular transverse oval prominence. 



The sternum is dark brown, bisected longitudinally by a pale 

 brownish yellow line. 



The female has the cephalothorax unicolorous, the curve of the 

 hinder row of eyes is also stronger than in the male, as also is that 

 of the anterior row. The eyes of the central pair are nearer to each 

 other than each is to the hind-lateral on its side, and the interval 

 between those of each lateral pair is less than that between the fore 

 and hind-central pairs. The abdomen is very large, subglobular- 

 oval. The markings on it are similar to those in the male, excepting 

 that the round form of the white spots is sometimes subangular, and 

 the colours of the spots and stripes interchange with the ground 

 colour, thus the white markings with black edging becomes dark, 

 sometimes black, with white edges, and sometimes the ground is 

 grey-white, with black edges to the white markings. The genital 

 aperture is of characteristic form, though bearing a general 

 resemblance to some other species of the genus. 



It is to be noted that in this species, as well as in the South 

 American examples above mentioned as typical of L. geometricus, the 

 two rows of eyes are not divergent as given in the characterisation 

 of this genus by authors, and in males this is more marked than in 

 females, and so the interval between the eyes of each lateral pair 

 is not greater or even as great as that between the fore- and hind- 

 central eyes. Whether this might not justify the species in which 

 this occurs being separated into another genus would depend on how 

 far this difference from the usual generic character might show 

 sufficient and uniform persistence. 



Females of the above were received from Cape Town, where it 

 appears to be very common, and males from Devil's Mountain (Cape 

 Town Slope). :;: 



* Since writing the above I have been able to refer to a paper lately published 

 on the genus Latrodectus, P.Z.S., 1902, p. 247. The author there gives as a 

 locality of L. geometricus, C. L. Koch, Cape Colony and Table Mountain. Whether 



