OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 141 



Below, the part immediately around the vulva is of a yellowish 

 red, vulva being dark reddish brown ; spiracular plates are also 

 marked by two curved dark lines ; below these the colour is 

 dark brown, almost black ; the sides curve over a little, and under 

 this curve is a line more or less broken into spots of "silvery 

 white. 



Length of cephalothorax, 2 lines; breadth, 1| lines; length of 

 abdomen, 3 lines — but it projecting one line over the cephalotho- 

 rax, leaves total length 4 lines ; breadth of abdomen, 4 lines. 



This species is from Palm Island, Cleveland Bay. there being 

 but one specimen — a female. 



Argiope, Sav. and Aud. 



A. regalis, L, Koch. 



A. regalis, L. Koi;h, Arach. Aust., p. 36, pi. iii., fig. 4. 



Two females, one immature (?) from Cape York ; one female, from 

 Katow, New Guinea ; one female from Percy Island ; one 

 female (immature) from Barnard Island, varies in having the 

 bandings of the legs very distinct, the light marking being a 

 light yellow, the dark bands being a dark reddish brown ; in 

 an immature female from Cocoanut Island, the leg marks are 

 very indistinct, and the first band on the abdomen is broken 

 into three distinct spots ; the second band is very indistinct, 

 with four spots of a lighter colour. 



The type specimens are from Port Mackay. 



A . picta, L. Koch. t 



A. picta, L. Koch, Arach. Aust., p. 36, pi. iii., fig. 3. 



One .female from Hall Sound, New Guinea ; one female from 

 Katow. Dr. Koch describes specimens from Port Mackay. 



A variabilis, A r .S. 



This insect, in its shape and colour closely resembles A. regalis. 

 The cephalothorax, however, is longer than broad — 3 J lines long, 

 3 broad ; the different parts of the mouth and the sternum are, in 

 shape and colour, as in A. reyalis. 



