POLTYS. 235 



spines also with basal portion stout, but not so abruptly narrowed 

 as in the case of the median spines. 



Length of abdomen 3 mm., width 4-5. 



Loc. Himalayas: Jaunsar, Thadyar, 2600 ft. (Oldham). 



265. Gasteracantha leucomelsena, Doleschall, Verh. Nat. Vereen, 



Neclcrland. Indie, v, no. 5, p. 42, t. xi, tig. 8, 1859 (Plectana leuco- 

 melas) ; Thorell, Ann. Mas. Genova, xxv, p. 232, 1887 : annamita, 

 Simon, Act. Soc. L. Bord. xl, p. 148, 1886. 



Colour : carapace and mandibles black ; legs yellow, with black 

 bands ; sternum yellow, with posterior black spot ; upper side of 

 abdomen whitish or yellow, with median black Y-shaped mark and 

 a large black patch at base of spines, the patches sometimes 

 uniting with the ends of the arms and with the stem of the Y to 

 form transverse bars of black. Abdomen about one-third wider 

 than long, not laterally attenuate, parallel-sided ; the spines small, 

 acuminate, the median and posterior subequal and much larger 

 than the anterior. 



Length of abdomen 5 mm., width 7. 



Loc. Burma: Rangoon, Tbarrawaddy, Tenasserim, &c. (Oates, 

 Fea). Andaman and Nice-bar Islands. Indo-Malaysia. 



266. Gasteracantha brevispina, Doleschall, Nat. Tijdschr. Nederland. 



Indie, xiii, p. 423, 1857 (Plectana) ; Thorell, Ann. Mas. Genova, 

 xxviii, p. 63, 1890 : canningensis, Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xxxviii, 

 p. 248, t. xviii, fig. 1, 1869 (Gastracantha). 



About the same size and much the same form as G.leucomekma; 

 head reddish laterally and rising in the middle into a conical 

 prominence much more pronounced than in the preceding species. 

 Abdomen a little wider than long, very variable in colour, some- 

 times the black, sometimes the yellow predominating ; usually there 

 is a large triangular black patch on each side and a pair of large 

 yellow ocelliform spots near the middle ; spines shorter, conical, 

 the lateral and median not evenly acuminate, being very stout at 

 the base and abruptly narrowed at the apex, somewhat as in 

 G. unguifera. 



Length of abdomen 5*5 mm., width 7. 



Loc. Ceylon. India : Madras (Jambunathan) ; Uran (Aiikeri), 

 Karachi (Simon), Dehra Dun (Oldham), Calcutta (Stoliczka). 

 Burma: Moulmein, Tenasserim (Oates, Fea). Andaman and 

 Nicobar Islands. Indo- and Austro-Malaysia. 



Genus POLTYS, C. Koch. 



Poltvs, C. Koeh, Arachn. x, p. 97, 1843 ; Simon, Hist. Nat. Araign. i, 

 p. 892, 1895. 



Carapace with cephalic region prominent, conical in front, 

 ocular quadrangle square or a little wider in front ; lateral eyes 

 widely separated, the posterior remote from the rest. Leys of 



