INTRODUCTION. 



Me. Gates's collection is extrem«?ly rich in species, new not only to 

 the fauna of Burma but also to science. It contains, moreover, 

 males or females of many species of which only one sex has 

 hitherto been described. The number of known Burmese Spiders 

 up till now was only 175. Mr. Oates's collection, however, con- 

 tains no less than 310 species, of which 200 are new to Burma, 

 and of these 153 appear to be new also to science ! Thus Mr. Gates 

 has more than doubled the number of known Burmese Spiders, 

 which is now 381. 



Mr. Gates has kindly sent me the following account of his 

 method of collecting and of the places where he procured the 

 specimens : — 



" The Spiders were obtained in that part of Burma which, before 

 the annexation of tlie whole country, was termed British Burma, 

 and is now called Lower Burma. The collections were chiefly 

 made at Tharrawaddy, a station about 70 miles north of Eaugoon, 

 during the years 1884-87. I also collected at Bangoon itself. 

 Numerous friends sent me small collections from time to time from 

 other places in British or Lower Burma, and the localities were in 

 every case noted on the bottles containing the Spiders. 



" As already remarked, the greater part of the collection was 

 made at Tharrawaddy, where I had a large garden, and a portion 

 of it was specially prepared for the attraction of spiders, which 

 came to it in large numbers. I put in plants of those species which 

 my experience told me were specially affected by spiders, and by 

 this means I was able to observe very many species in a small com- 

 pass. By carefully watching the females for some weeks, I generally 

 contrived to secure the males in such a manner as to render their 

 identification with their respective females certain. In addition to 

 the garden, there were large forests not far from my house. I collected 

 at all seasons of the year, but I found the rains, from May to October, 

 most productive. I was greatly assisted by my wife, who soon 

 overcame her natural repugnance to spiders and handled them 

 freely." 



