NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN ARANEID^E — RAINBOW. 217 



Gea, C. Koch= Ebaea, L. Koch, occurs in "Africa trop. occid. 

 (africana E. Sim.); Asia trop. (spiiiipes C.Koch); Malaisia ; 

 Papuasia ; Nova-Hollandia et Polynesia; Amer. sept, calid. et 

 Antille (heptagon Hentz)." 7 Notwithstanding its geographical 

 range, the genus is a small one, only about a dozen species being 

 known ; of these, six have been described from Indo-China, one 

 from Australia (G. theridioides, L. K., Port Mackay); one from 

 New Guinea (G. bitubercu/ata, Thor. ) ; and one (G. prtecincta, 

 L. K.) from Samoa The individuals are all small, but there is 

 little difference in size between the sexes ; if anything, the males 

 are slightly the smaller. 



The architecture of only one species (G. festiva, Thor. 8 ) has 

 been described and figured. It is a small and closely fabricated 

 orb, erected perpendicularly, and measuring from five to six 

 inches in diameter; rays. 48-56 ; inner spiral, 7-11 turns; free 

 zone, 1 in.; outer spiral, 32-58 turns. This web, which had no 

 zigzag ribbon (stabilimentiim), was noted at Singapore. 

 Nothing is known of the spider's cocooning habits. 



The section Cyrtophorea? includes only one genus, Cyrtophora, 

 E. Sim., and its distribution is : " Orhis utriusque reg. tropicse et 

 subtropical. '"■' Our species C. hirta, L.K., C.parnasia, L.K., and 

 C. sculptilis, L. K., were each originally recorded from Bowen. 

 According to Simon, the latter Australian species is a synonym 

 of C. citricola, Forsk., a form that has been recorded from the 

 Mediterranean region, tropical, East and West Africa, South 

 Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands, Yemen. India, 

 Ceylon, and Singapore. 



The webs of Cyrtophora differ from the characteristic snares 

 of the family to which it belongs. Examples of these have been 

 described by both Workman (G. citricola 10 ) and McCook (C. 

 basilica, 11 McCook). The orb is of a very primative type, and 

 takes the form of a dome, which latter consists of a large number 

 of radii and spirals, all closely woven ; the latter extend entirely 

 and with equal regularity to the summit. Immediately below 

 the dome and supported by the radii of the latter is a horizontal 

 sheet or floor composed of lines irregularly cast. Both above and 

 below dome and floor, and surrounding both, is a complicated 

 retitelarian structure. Primitive though it be, this form of snare 



7 Simon — Loc. cit., pp. 769-770. 



8 Workman — Loc. cit., p. 30, fig. h. 



9 Simon — Loc. cit., p. 775. 



10 Workman — Loc. cit., p. 32, fig. h. 



'iJVTcCook— Loc. cit., p. 164, fig. 154. 



