388 MESSES. DIXEY, BURR, AND PICKARD-CAMBRIDGE ON [May 3, 



marginal eminences opposite the basal joints of the legs ; and the 

 labium is yellowish. 



Abdomen cylindrical ; the hinder extremity somewhat produced 

 and extending beyond the spinners. The fore extremity is dark 

 brown, succeeded by a strong transverse pale-yellowish or cream- 

 coloured band, the ends of which are produced backwards forming 

 a lateral broken marginal stripe on each side. The upperside 

 between these stripes is of a dull pale hue, closely reticulated -with 

 brov\n in a vermiform pattern, and along the middle is a series of 

 four pairs of roundish pale spots covered uith a sbiniug satiny 

 pubescence ; the spots in each of these pairs are contiguous or 

 nearly so, and they decrease in size from the foremost to the last 

 pair, which are seated a little way from the posterior extremity of 

 the abdomen. The sides are dark brown, marked with various 

 subparallel undulating yellowish streaks, two largish dark-brown 

 patches on each side being left untouched by them. The underside 

 is deep brown, with a yellowish marginal line in front and on the 

 sides ; and beneath the produced portion is a longitudinal, central, 

 silvery-white band stopping short of the spinners. The genital 

 aperture is of great simplicity, consisting of a narrow transverse 

 opening covered by a short, scarcely projecting lip. 



This handsome Spider is allied to several other African species, 

 such as N. femoralis Luc, N. sumptuosa Gerst., and N. keyserlingii 

 Blackw., but appears to be abundantly distinct. The only example 

 was not in first-rate condition. 



Subfara. Gi-ASTERACANTHIN.E. 



Gen. Gasteracantha Walck, 

 Gasteracantha sodalis, sp. n. (Plate XXXI. fig, 3.) 



Adult female (Xo. 99), length (not including the posterior abdo- 

 minal spines) rather over 34 lines (nearly 8 mm.) ; breadth of abdo- 

 men (including the longest of the lateral spines) 6| lines (14 mm.). 



This Spider is much like O. madagascariensis Vins., to which it 

 is nearly allied, but the latter has the transverse abdominal black 

 bars broken off in the middle, ajtd the abdomen itself is wider in 

 proportion from front to back than in the present species ; the 

 cephalothorax also and the abdominal markings and spines are of 

 a deeper hue, in fact generally black, whereas in the present Spider 

 they are red-brown. The posterior and fore-lateral spines also are 

 longer and sharper pointed in G. madagascariensis, in which also 

 the underside of the abdomen is less thickly blotched with yellow, 

 and the sternum has a strong sub-triangular (or heart-shaped) 

 central, clearly defined, pale yellow spot; while in the present 

 Spider the abdominal blotching is reddish orange-yellow, and the 

 sternum deep brown, with two small indistinct yellowish spots in 

 a transverse line near the middle. 



The legs are of a uniform deep brown colour, w bile in G. mada- 

 gascariensis the coxae and femora are of a brightish vellow-brown 

 [18] 



