450 Annals of the South African Museum. 



darkened and which may belong to these ? $ but has no differences 

 from E. fumos^ls, apart from colour. 



It may be that the Cape specimens form a species of their own, 

 but the differences from E. fumosus and E. echinatus are comparatively 

 slight, and the variations which occur in the specimens make it 

 advisable to leave their identity an open question. 



A (J (No. 1207) from Bergvliet, Cape Flats, has the palpal organ 

 exactly as in fumosus, but the cephalic portion of the carapace not so 

 much raised (thus resembling depressus), and is as indecisive as the 

 Graaff Reinet specimen. 



Key to Species. 



The South African Eresidae adequately described can be identified 

 as follows : 



I. Spinules on sternum, coxae, and femora of anterior legs, and on sides 

 of carapace. 



(a.) Sternum thickly covered with miirute, sharp spinules ; coxae 

 and femora I and II densely spinulose ; coxae and femur III 

 slightly less so. Patellae I and II densely but shortly 

 spinulose on anterior side. 



(a'.) Large, dark in colour, and with cephalic portion of carapace 

 well raised above thoracic . . E. fumosus. 



(&.) Sternum with a few scattered sphmles anteriorly, and hairs 

 thickening at base anteriorly. Coxae I and II with a few 

 appressed spinules on anterior and posterior surfaces ; femora 

 I and II thickly covered below with spinules, III less so. 

 Patellae without spinules. 



(&'.) Mediiini size, dark in colour, and with cephalic portion of 

 carapace well raised above thoracic . . E. echinatus. 



(c.) Sternum with no spiimles, but with hairs thickening slightly 

 at base anteriorly ; no spinules on coxae, patellae, or carapace ; 

 spinules and long hairs on femora I and II, long hairs only 

 on III. 



(c'.) Medium size, moderately light in colour, and with cephalic 

 portion of carapace only slightly and gradually raised above 

 thoracic . . . . . . E. depressus. 



II. No spinules on sternum, legs, or carapace. 



(a.) Carapace less than tibia, metatarsus and tarsus of 1st leg; 

 cephalic portion depressed, flattened, scarcely raised above 

 thoracic portion, and narrower than latter E. namaquensis. 

 (b.) Carapace slightly exceeding tibia, metatarsus and tarsus of 

 1st leg ; cephalic portion raised, but not abruptly, above 

 thoracic portion, and both approximately equal in width 



E. purcelli. 







