38 Mr. J. Blackwall on newly discovered Spiders 



band, comprising several longitudinal and transverse dark- 

 coloured streaks, tapers from the anterior extremity of the upper 

 part to the posterior conical protuberance; a yellowish-white 

 band extends along the upper part of each side, and a line of 

 the same hue passes from each red-brown branchial operculum 

 nearly to the spinners, which are of a dark brown colour, and 

 have at their base yellowish-white spots on the sides and under- 

 neath ; the sexual organs are highly developed, prominent, of a 

 dark brown colour, slightly tinged with red, and have in con- 

 nexion with their anterior margin a short, somewhat pointed 

 process, hollowed on the outer side, which is directed obliquely 

 downwards and backwards. 



This species differs remarkably from the more typical forms 

 of its congeners in having the posterior legs the longest. 



The genus Epe'ira, as at present characterized, requires 

 amending with regard to the relative length of the legs, which 

 is now known to vary in different species. 



Genus Plectana, Walck. 

 Plectana tricuspidata. 



Length of the female ^th of an inch ; length of the cephalo- 

 thorax -j 1 ^ ; breadth -^ ; breadth of the abdomen ~ ; length of 

 a posterior leg ~ ; length of a leg of the third pair £. 



The cephalothorax, which is nearly concealed by the project- 

 ing abdomen, is slightly compressed before, rounded on the 

 sides, depressed in the posterior and convex in the cephalic re- 

 gion ; the falces are small, conical, and vertical ; the maxilla? are 

 short, straight, powerful, and greatly enlarged and rounded at 

 the extremity ; the lip is semicircular, and the sternum is heart- 

 shaped ; the legs are short and sparingly provided with hairs ; 

 the fourth pair is the longest, then the first, and the third pair 

 is the shortest ; the palpi are short and slender. These parts 

 are glossy and of a dark brown colour, tinged with red, the 

 cephalothorax being the darkest, and the palpi and sternum 

 much the palest. The eyes are situated on the anterior part of 

 the cephalothorax, and are nearly equal in size ; the four inter- 

 mediate ones almost form a square, but the two posterior eyes 

 are rather wider apart than the anterior ones, which are seated 

 on a tubercle and are prominent ; those of each lateral pair are 

 placed obliquely on a tubercle, and are nearly in contact. The 

 abdomen is triangular, with its vertex directed backwards ; its 

 integument is corneous and glossy, and a long acute spine pro- 

 jects obliquely upwards from each angle of the upper part, that 

 at the vertex being rather the longest; it is depressed above, 

 convex underneath, where the spinners are situated, and has 



