108 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSETTM. 



CONTRIBUTION to a KNOWLEDGE of PAPUAN 

 ARACHNIDA. 



By W. J. Rainbow, F.L.S., Entomologist. 



The present paper comprises a list of the species of Papuan 

 Arachnida, in the possession of the Trustees. The collection, 

 although numerous in point of specimens, can scarcely be 

 considered representative as far as species are concerned. For 

 the most part, the specimens enumerated hereunder have been 

 collected from time to time by Missionaries, few of whom possess 

 that special knowledge so necessary to a successful collector. 



Some of the specimens recorded below were collected under the 

 auspices of His Excellency Sir Wm. McGregor, M.D., K.C.M.G., 

 at the St. Joseph's River ; and some were collected by Mr. 

 W. W. Froggatt, at the Fly River, in his capacity as Naturalist 

 to the Geographical Society of Australasia's Expedition in 1885.* 

 The species most common in all collections from New Guinea are 

 those whose arboreal habits or size render them conspicuous, such 

 as Argyroepeira grata, Guerin, A. celebesiana, Walck., and the 

 huge Nephila maculata, Fab. 



It is to be regretted that a field so full of interest from a zoo- 

 logical point of view, should be left almost entirely to the enterprise 

 of foreign collectors, and this notwithstanding the fact that it is 

 so close to our doors. Although numerous collectors have at times 

 visited New Guinea, the two principal expeditions from Sydney 

 have been the "Chevert" Expedition in 1875, and the Geographical 

 Society's Expedition, referred to above. The Araneidre collected 

 by the former were recorded by Mr. H. H. B. Bradley. f 



The reader is also referred to a previous paper by me, entitled 

 "Contributions to a Knowledge of the Arachnidan Fauna of 

 British New Guinea. "| 



Some of the specimens are vaguely labelled " British New 

 Guinea," whilst others are distinctly located ; thus in the localities 

 recorded below as "British New Guinea, St. Joseph's River," the 

 information intended to be conveyed is — that some specimens are 

 known from the latter locality specifically, and others from British 

 New Guinea generally ; and where the words " British New 

 Guinea " appear between parenthesis, the object is to localise the 

 preceding name. 



* See Proc. Geogr. Soc. Austr., special vol., 1885. 



t Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, i., 1876, pt. 2, pp. 137 - 150; pt. 3, pp. 

 220 - 224, and plates. 



X Ibid., xxiii., 1898, pt. 3, pp. 328-35G, pi. vii. 



