240 Dr. W. Rae Sherriffs on 



while others again, mostly black, have the curious habit on 

 the web of keeping the slender tip of the abdomen upturned 

 over the body dorsally. 



Where the stabilimentum is present, it always soon gets 

 dirty with remains of victims. The spider on it is very often 

 unrecognizable, even when closely looked for — it matches in 

 colour the white band so well. This was particularly the 

 case with the Ceylon Cyclosa above mentioned. 



From Pykara Falls, Nilgiris, I found several forms with 

 webs on the bushes near running water. There were no 

 stabilimenta and the spider was silvery on the abdomen 

 dorsally and had the tip of the abdomen upturned. The 

 shape is not nearly so slender as in the case of the long 

 narrow Ceylon forms (C. bifida?). 



Araneus (Clerck), 17 57 = Epeira (Walck.), 1805. 

 49." Araneus laglazei (Sim.). 



A small spider, 6 mm. long, resembling a bird's dropping 

 on a leaf. Found on a twig near the orb-web, which is about 

 9 inches diam. and had very wide meshes, but no stabili- 

 mentum. Spider is dark grey, almost black, with the 

 abdomen whitish dorsally. 



Locality. Madras city (previously reported from Ootaca- 

 mund) ; Kotagiri, Coonoor, Pykara, Nilgiris. Common in 

 and around Ootacamund (September). 



50. Araneus theisii (Walck.). 



Found resting by day under a withered bracken leaf, 

 which it greatly resembled in colour, on the golf course at 

 Kotagiri. Found on Madras Beach on a leaf of Abutilon. 

 A very inert spider, very like A. nauticus } but smaller and 

 the sternum is all dark, almost black. The dorsal pattern of 

 the abdomen is very pretty, almost constant, and probably 

 characteristic. Found near orb-web in evening resting on 

 a grass-stem. 



Locality. Madras Beach ; Kotagiri and Ootacamund, 

 Nilgiris. 



51. Araneus nauticus (Koch, L. K.) = .A. pullata (Tlior.). 



(PI. V. fig. 8.) 

 Lies hid during the day within a withered leaf. Found 

 in the train from Talaimanaar to Colombo. At dusk it 

 emerged and made its web in the compartment. When 

 touched it retired into a crevice on the roof. 

 Locality. Kotagiri. Dolosbage, Ceylon. 



