802 R- I- POCOCK. 



Family Agelenidae. 



Genus Desis Walck. 



17. Besis gardimri sp. n. (PI. LXVI. fig. 4 a — e). 



Colour. Mandibles and cephalic region of carapace mahtgany-brown ; rest of carapace, 

 legs, palpi and sternum, ochre-yellow; abdomen testaceous. 



Eyes of anterior line straight by their centres; medians smaller than laterals, less than 

 a diameter apart, distance between median and lateral greater than diameter of the former, 

 about equal to transverse diameter of the latter; eyes of posterior line subequal and sub- 

 equally spaced, the medians a little farther from each other (about two diameters) than 

 from the laterals ; the inner edge of the anterior median situated in the same longitudinal 

 line as the centre of the space between the posterior median and lateral. 



Mandibles normal in form, dentition as in D. cvosslandi, the posterior tooth of the 

 outer row small, separated from the anterior by a space which is equal to about three or 

 four times its own height. 



Palpi and legs of first and second pairs unspined ; 3rd leg : tibia armed with 1 dorsal, 

 1 anterior, 1 posterior and 2 inferior distal spines, its pro tarsus with 11 — 12 spines, its 

 tarsus with (3 inferior spines ; 4th leg : tibia armed with 2 posterior and 2 inferior apical 

 spines; protarsus with about 14 spines; tarsus with 6. 



Epigyne very like that of D. cvosslandi, but the orifices of the receptacula seminis less 

 circular, mqre oval, the paired processes farther from their anterior rims, and with their apices 

 closer together; the terminal linguiform j^rocess slightly clavate, much less curved than in 

 D. cvosslandi, lying indeed nearly in the same plane as the iiiedian area of the epigyne. Total 

 length, 8 mm. ; length of carapace, 3 mm. 



Locality. Minikoi. A single female example was obtained from the reef at low tide, 

 midway between Minikoi and Wiringili Islands. 



It is possible that this species may pi'ove to be identical with D. cvosslandi, but for 

 the present there is not enough material of either form to settle absolutely the constancy 

 of the differential characters pointed out between the two. 



The discovery of the genus Desis in the Laccadives fills an important gap in our 

 knowledge of the distribution of the genus. Up to the present time it was only known 

 from the Indo-Australian Seas, from New Zealand up to Singapore, and on the coast of 

 South and East Africa from Grahamstown and Natal to Zanzibar. As I have already pointed 

 out (P. Z. S. 1902, p. 391), the Zanzibar form, D. cvosslandi, in spite of its geographical 

 isolation, conforms to the type of species prevalent in the Australian Seas and not to that 

 which is characteristic of South Africa. And Mr Gardiner's discovery of a species of the 

 genus half-way between Singapore and Zanzibar is strong confirmation of the suggestion 

 already put forward that representatives of Desis -will be found in suitable spots all along 

 the coast of Southern Asia. 



Family Oxyopidae. 

 Genus Oxyopes Latr. 



18. Oxyopes hindostanicus Pocock. 



Oxyopes hindostanicus Pocock, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. xiii. p. 482, 1901. 



