Urquhart. — On the Spiders of New Zealand. 187 



consists of a double row of spots. Palpi pale yellow; humeral 

 joint long, cubital and radial short, latter cup-shaped, few dark 

 strong bairs ; digital joint large, ovoid, convex, and moderately 

 hairy externally ; palpal organs complex, series of flattish lobes 

 projecting forwards ; on upper side, close to articulation of 

 digital and radial joints, is a remarkable dark-red crescent- 

 shaped process. Projecting forwards on the lower side is a pale 

 greenish membrane, margins dark, rounded, serrated. 



Taken amongst low vegetation ; forms a fine open horizontal 

 web across bollows in shady places. Commences pairing about 

 November. 



Te Karaka, Auckland, A.T.C. 



Genus Theridium, Walck. 



Theridium varium, sp. n. PI. VI., fig. 3. 



Length of an adult female 7 mm., and of an adult male 

 4-^ mm. 



Cephalothorax broad oval, moderately constricted in front; 

 yellowish-brown, suffused about margins and furrows with dark 

 brown ; median fovea somewhat oval, deep ; radial and caput 

 striae moderate ; profile contour low arch ; clypeus slightly pro- 

 minent, in height more than half facial space. 



Eye disposed in two transverse curved rows, forming a 

 narrow oval space ; four centrals form a quadrilateral figure 

 ratber longer than broad ; hind-centrals rather more than their 

 diameter apart, and a diameter and a half from the hind-laterals; 

 fore-centrals dark, seated on brown tubercular prominences ; 

 laterals close, placed obliquely on moderate tubercles; these 

 eyes and hind-centrals have a pearly lustre. 



Legs long, moderately "slender ; 1, 4, 2, 3 = 16, 13, 11, 8 

 mm. ; clear light- brown, annulated ; armature strong dark hairs 

 and bristles ; superior tarsal claws, 1st pair, moderately strong 

 and curved, free, and more than half claw, tip bent ; 6 teeth, 5 

 basal rather strong comb-teeth, increasing in length ; outer 

 strongest and longest, curved backwards ; inferior claw smaller 

 than superior, sharply bent, one curved tooth. 



Palpi colour and armature of legs ; palpal claw short, 

 sharply curved, 7 long open comb-teeth, forming an even line 

 with point of claw. 



Fakes conical, slender, nearly vertical, yellowish-brown, few 

 sharp teeth. 



Maxilla long, obliquely truncated on outer side, yellowish- 

 brown, inclined towards lip, which is twice as broad as long. 



Abdomen large, very convex above, projects over base at 

 cephalothorax ; pointed at spinners ; ground colour light-brown, 

 spotted and blotched with dark greenish-brown, few light 

 streaks ; median band irregular, somewhat leaf- like, between it 

 and spinners are a tew angular marks, apices directed forwards ; 



