96 Transactions. — Zoology. 



MaxiU<B spathulate, much inclined towards labium, which is 

 rounded, more than twice as broad as long ; former organs 

 greenish, latter brownish-yellow, dark bases. 



Sternum broad-cordate, areolated, chocolate-brown. 



Abdomen rounded in front, slightly curved indentation, 

 pointed posteriorly ; tubercles strong, project moderately back- 

 wards and outwards ; brownish-yellow, dark, oblong mark at 

 basal indentation ; brownish marks between tubercles ; strong 

 black and white lanceolate serrated hairs. 



This little spider may possibly not prove to be the male of 

 T. olivacea, but I have taken it on two occasions, at Te Karaka 

 and Waiwera, in the vicinity of females of that species ; the 

 first mature male was taken on November 1st. Females 

 fabricate cocoons as late as April 17th ; they are spherical, 

 5 mm. in diameter, echinulate, of a hard, brown, parchmenty 

 nature, four or five in number, suspended by a short pedicel; 

 comprised within are about 80 spherical, unagglutiuated, 

 dark straw-coloured eggs. The web is small, resembles that 

 of the TheridiidiB, the lines intersecting one another at different 

 angles and planes ; web and cocoons may be met with about 

 hakea fences and low shrubs. The female probably obtains 

 some protection from her remarkable form and pale coloration ; 

 in the early part of summer examples may be met with resting 

 on the upper surface of broad leaves — e.g., apple ; when in 

 such positions their irregular forms, tinted with a pale greenish- 

 blue and creamy - white, bear a strong resemblance to the 

 excreta of birds. 



Fam. THEEIDIID^. 

 Genus Ariamnes, Th. 

 Ariamnes conifera, sp. nov. Plate VIII., fig. 5. 



Female. — Ceph. th., long, 1 ; broad, 0-8. Abd., long, 2 ; 

 broad, 1 ; high, 1. Legs, 1, 4, 2, 3. 1st = 4-5 mm. 



Cephalothorax oval, nearly as broad as long, slightly com- 

 pressed forwards, depressed, caput roundly, thorax squarely 

 truncated, areolate, normal grooves faint yellow-brown, shaded 

 on lateral margins with olive-green, two bands of similar hue 

 converge from hind eyes to base of thorax ; contour of profile 

 rises rather abruptly, runs nearly horizontally, rising slightly 

 at occiput ; chjpeus nearly as long as depth of ocular area, 

 projects forwards. 



E]jes of equal size, seated on lake-coloured spots ; four 

 centrals nearly form a square ; posterior row sensibly })ro- 

 curved, median eyes separated by rather more than their 

 breadth, their diameter and a half from side eyes of same row ; 

 anterior row recurved, nearly equidistant ; laterals placed ou 

 moderate tubercles, their radius apart. 



