igii.] F. H. GRAVEI.Y : Notes on Pcdipalpi. 37 



found under bricks among dead leaves at the edge of a wood in 

 the gardens and prove to belong to the genus Sarax, Sim. Only- 

 two species of this genus have as yet been described, 5. sarawak- 

 ensis, Thor., recorded from various islands between (and including) 

 the Andamans and the Solomon Isles; and 5. hrachydactvliis, Sim., 

 from the Philippines. The specimens sent by Mr. Ridley closely 

 resemble the former species, and but for the presence among them 

 of ovigerous females it would be difficult in the present state of 

 knowledge to be certain that they were distinct; for otherwise, in 

 spite of their uniformity, their maturity might have been doubted. 

 But the fact that ovigerous females from Singapore are only about 

 three-quarters as large (in diameter) as the type of Thorell's Bor- 

 nean species (concerning the maturity of which, moreover, there 

 appears to have been some doubt) is in itself sufficient to dis- 

 tinguish the two ; and this diif erence is found to be associated with 

 differences in the proportions that the lengths of the several femora 

 bear to the width of the carapace. 



The Singapore specimens and Thorell's description of the type 

 of S. sarawakensis taken by themselves certainly indicate that full 

 separate specific rank should be accorded to the former ; for the 

 differences between the two are quite as great as those between 

 several recognized species of Tarantulidae. But an examination of 

 two specimens of Sarax from Borneo (kindly lent by Mr. Moulton 

 of the Sarawak Museum) and one from Narcondam Island (Indian 

 Museum collection) shows clearly the necessity of examining good 

 series of specimens from all possible locahties before a satisfactory 

 conclusion can be arrived at, a necessity which is no doubt respon- 

 sible for the inclusion by previous writers of all forms found 

 between the Andamans and the Solomon Isles (and including Sin- 

 gapore) in the one species sarawakensis. Provisionally, therefore, it 

 will probably be most convenient to regard the Singapore form 

 as a geographical sub-species only, in order that the term saraimk- 

 ensis may retain its present broad significance. The Singapore 

 form may then be designated Sarax sarawakensis^ sub-sp. singa- 

 porae, nov., and distinguished from S. sarawakensis, Thorell, s. str. 

 by its smaller size and the proportionally shorter femora of its 

 antenniform legs. The following are measurements in millimetres 

 of two ovigerous females of the Singapore form (correct to the 

 nearest half millimetre only) : — 



