704 



JOHN HKWITF. 



longer than the middle segment, and is at once distinguished 

 from L. rat tray i by the i-elative paucity of fine hairs on its 

 surfaces, the dai-k dorsal pattern of the abdomen being 

 conspicuously displayed through the weak covering of hair ; 

 the characters of the adult male are very different in the two 

 species. 



Fam. CLUBIONID^. 



Amaurobioides africanus sp. nov. PI. XL VII, fig. 8, 

 and text-fig. 4, a-d. 



The species described under this name is based on a series 

 of adult male and female specimens collected recently at East 

 London by Dr. Geo. Rattray and his son, Master G. Rattra}-. 

 Specimens were first discovered on the seaward face of the 

 rocks near Bats Cave ; their retreats, made of tough silk, 

 lodged in the pits and crevices of the rock surface, Avei-e 

 situated near to or just below the average high-water mark, 

 where they were liable to complete submergence at spring- 

 tides. Other examples were found on rocks between tide 

 marks along the banks of the Buffalo River, and a few at 

 Cove Rock. After visiting their habitats on various occasions. 

 Dr. Rattray is satisfied that many of these retreats are not 

 necessarily submerged at each invasion of the tide, but are 

 often merely drenched by the spray of the waves. On the 

 othei' hand, he found numerous small retreats occupied by 

 immature specimens amongst the wet seaweed exposed at 

 low water, and these retreats must certainly be submerged 

 every high tide. 



The species closely resembles the other two recorded 

 members of the genus, viz. A. maritima 0. P. Cambr. 

 (Proc. Zool. Soc, 1883, p. 356, pi. xxxvi, fig. 3), the types 

 of which wei-e sent to Mr. Pickard-Cambridge labelled 

 " marine spiders," having been found on rocks in the sea at 

 AUday Bay, Otago, N.Z., and A. piscator Hogg (' Sub- 

 •antarctic Islands of New Zealand,^ Wellington, 1909, article 



