10 EECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



In the Report of the Horn Exploring Expedition to Central 

 Australia, Mr. H. R. Hogg, gives a list of the Spiders col- 

 lected, and enumerates amongst others Idioctis helva, L. Koch." 

 This species was originally recorded from Ovalau Island, Fiji, 

 so that if there is no mistake in Koch's locality, and Mr. 

 Hogg's determination, its occurrence in two such widely divided 

 areas is, to say the least, remarkaljle Moreover, the climate of 

 the two localities is vastly different. Ovalau, from its position, 

 is oppressive, warm, and humid ; in the centre of Australia the 

 climate is hot and dry ; hence the vegetation in each place must 

 be widely different. Palm Creek, where Mr. Hogg's specimens 

 were collected, is an isolated spot — an oasis in the desert. It is 

 quite true, as Mr. Hogg points out, that " they [the Spiders] pre- 

 sent a general analogy to those from the coastal districts of New 

 South Wales and Queensland, exhibiting here and there interesting 

 variations in what are clearly co-ordinate types. "^^ Still, that 

 would hardly appear sufficient to account for the occurrence of 

 /. helva. 



Mr. Hogg's note reads: — "In seven female specimens, the third 

 pair of legs is longer in proportion, the lips are shorter and the 

 body larger than in those described by Koch.^'' 



The type of /. helva was in the Museum GodefTroy, so that the 

 recorder was guided solely by Koch's description and figures.'' Had 

 he had the privilege of comparing his specimens with the type, he 

 might have observed further differences which would have in- 

 fluenced his determination. 



The nest of /. helva is figured by Koch.'** It is an exceedingly 

 interesting structure, consisting of a short downward tube whence 

 two branches extend ; one of these is horizontal, and rather more 

 than twice the length of the entrance tube ; the other is much 

 longer, directed downwards and curved under ; the lid is nearly 

 circular. 



Sub-family Aviculariin/E. 



This sub-family is represented in Australia by two genera, 

 Ischnocolus, Auss., and Fhlogius, E. Simon.'" The former occurs 

 in the Mediterranean region — Spain, Sicily, Barbary, Cyprus, 

 and Syria; Ethiopian region — East India, Nicobar Islands; 

 Malaysia — Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Phillipine Islands; Australia; 

 Central America; the Antilles: South America — Colombia, Brazil, 

 and Uruguay. Fhlogius is distributed over S.E. Asia — Burma, 



14 Eeport Horn Expl. Expd., ii., 1896, pp. 312 and 335. 



15 hoc. cit., p. 309. 



16 Loc. cit., p. 335. 



17 Koch— Arach. Aust, i., 1871, p. 484, pi. xxxvii., figs. 3, 3a, 36. 

 '!» Koch — Loc. cit., pi. xxxvii., fig. 3c. 



19 Simon— Hist. Nat, Araignees (2nd edit.), 1892, p. 13G. 



