406 Zoological Society 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



June 24, 1856.— Dr. Gray, F.R.S., in the Chair. 

 Description of Mygale Emilia, a Spider from Panama, 



HITHERTO APPARENTLY UNRECORDED. By AdAM WhITE, 



Assistant in the Zoological Department, Brit. Mus. 



The large Spiders of the New World, though generally sombre in 

 hue, are occasionally varied in colour. The Mygale versicolo?' de- 

 scribed by Baron Walckenaer (Apt. i. 211), has the cephalothorax 

 covered with down-like hairs of a metallic green lustre, and some of 

 the hairs of the body have in certain aspects a violet reflection. The 

 Mygale rosea described by the same author from the collection of 

 M. Guerin-Meneville, who procured it from Chili, is deserving of its 

 specific name. The Mygale Zebra, figured in the fourth volume of 

 the 'Annales de la Soc. Entomologique,' pi. 19, has the abdomen 

 strikingly striped. Generally speaking, however, these large My gales, 

 whether from the Old or the New World, are rough, plain brown, or 

 black creatures, with greyish scattered hairs. Since Walckenaer' s 

 work was published in 1837, several species have been added to zoo- 

 logical science, especially ia the German work of Koch. The fol- 

 lowing species, pre-eminent for its striking beauty of colour, was 

 obtained by my friend Dr. Berthold Seemann, the distinguished na- 

 turalist who succeeded Mr. Edmonstone on board H.M.S. Herald 

 under Capt. Kellett, R.N., C.B. 



I have but once seen a Mygale alive; the specimen was sent to 

 the late Mr. John Doubleday by post, and when it reached London 

 was evidently much shaken by its transit from Liverpool. The day 

 after its arrival he gave it cockroaches. They were put into the small 

 box along with the Mygale. It apparently at first did not see them, 

 but on these " Cursorial Orthoptera '* running about MygaWs legs, 

 the great spider drew itself up, and darted its chelicera into one of 

 them, tearing its intestines with its fearfully armed hook. The Blatta 

 was soon devoured, and the spider, evidently an invalid after its 

 rough journey, died next day. 



Mr. H. W. Bates, who has for the last eight years so successfully 

 collected Annulosa, and observed their habits at various points on the 

 Amazon, in a letter to me, dated ** Santarem, 30 April, 1855," 

 written on the eve of starting for *' the wonderful country of the 

 Upper Amazons," remarks : — " With regard to spiders, I have ob- 

 served many curious points in their habits, but I cannot communi- 

 cate them until I can send specimens, with numbers attached, to 

 which the notes can be referred. There is one observation I made, 

 however, which I am sure will be of the highest interest to science. 

 It is with respect to the habit of the My gales to prey on birds. Now 

 I have detected them in the fact as far back as 1849, but thought 

 little of it at the time, as I had the idea that it was a well-known 

 and undisputed fact in science. Lately, however, I read an account 

 (I think of Langsdorffs expedition in the interior of Brazil), where 



