I92I.J F. H. Gravely : Fauna of Barkuda I. 415 



resulting in paler forms, often more or less uniformly whitish ; 

 (b) a general increase of pigmentation resulting in darker forms, 

 often more or less uniformly blackish ; and (c) a general reduc- 

 tion of pigmentation throughout areas normally pale, combined 

 with a general increase of pigmentation throughout areas normallj' 

 dark, resulting in a contrast of black and white areas which, 

 though entirely different in appearance to the fundamental pattern, 

 appears in all cases to be based upon it and as a matter of fact to 

 follow it somewhat closely. This variation is illustrated in the 

 case of A. rumphi in pi. xix, figs. 1-6, the specimens shown being 

 from various localities. 



Araneus melanocrania, Thorell. 

 Epeira melanocrania, Thorell, 1887, pp. 209-213. 

 This species is found chiefly among trees and bushes on the 

 shores of the island. It spins a large orb-web in which it sits by 

 night, but spends the day in a little silken retreat which it con- 

 structs close by in a curled leaf or some other suitable hiding 

 place. Males were obtained in December. 



Araneus viridisoma, sp. nov. 



^ Text-fig. 3c. 



A medium-sized delicate-looking green spider, whitish above, 

 which spins orb webs in the jungle at night. It was very abundant 

 in some places but was only found by searching with a lantern at 

 night. I never saw it by day. In spirit the green colour disappears 

 completely. 



2 . Total length up to 7I mm. Carapace 3 mm. long bj^ 2 mm. 

 broad. This species belongs to Simon's fourth group of the genus, 

 and its eyes bring it nearest to the series typified by A. origena 

 from Java, the medians being arranged in a square, the anteriors 

 slightly smaller than the posteriors, and the anterior line so strongly- 

 recurved that the medians appear to touch the edge of the clypeus. 

 The abdomen, however, is short and oval instead of being elongate 

 and is without shoulder projections. The lateral eyes are small 

 and contiguous, together scarcely larger than the posterior medians, 

 with which they form an approximately straight line. The legs 

 are finely hairy, and bear a number of long slender blackish spines. 

 The vulva is shown in text-fig. 3c. 



& . The male resembles the female in colour, but is much 

 smaller. Total length about 5 mm., carapace barely 2 mm. long, 

 and almost equally broad. The anterior median eyes are somewhat 

 larger and more widely separated than the posteriors and are 

 very strongly prominent. Laterals as in the female. The legs 

 resemble those of the female, except the second pair in which the 

 tibia bears a row of four or five stout spines on the basal two 

 thirds of the ventral surface and a group of about four similar spines 

 rather more than half way along the inner surface with a subapical 



