South Indian Arachiology. 245 



1*5 mm. at greatest width across the abdomen. Tlie colour 

 is almost black, and on the abdomen dorsal ly there are very- 

 distinct white spots forming a St. George's cross. The colour- 

 scheme greatly resembles that in the male of G. geminata, 

 and the young are found on very small simple orb-webs 

 about 3 inches diam. without^any sfabilimenta or white dots. 

 Locality. Madras city ; Dolosbage, Ceylon. 



62. Gasteracautha geminata (Fabr.). 



Larger and much more common than the above. The 

 web is made against the wall of the bungalow or else out in 

 the open between the branches of trees. Often the web is 

 found well under the shade of trees, and as it is swung on 

 very long threads it moves very easily in the breeze and is 

 therefore very difficult to photograph successfully. The main 

 lines of the web are flecked out with little white dots and 

 dashes, which are quite characteristic. The spider remains 

 always at the centre of the web during the day. The web of 

 G. brevispina is much smaller and finer, and has no white 

 marks anywhere upon it. Both species spin their webs in 

 the mornings before 7 o'clock. 



The <$ G. geminata seem to rest on single threads only at 

 some distance from the large web of the ? . The commensal 

 Argyrodes arge'ntatus is quite common on the big web of 

 the $ in Madias city during February. One point of interest 

 is that the $ of G. geminata has not the same number of 

 sigillae as depicted by Simon in fig. 887. He shows three 

 small on each side, but there are really four. I have also 

 found the $ on small complete orb-webs of their own, quite 

 apart from the big one of the ? , the diameter of their webs 

 being only about 3". 



Locality. Madras city and Beach. Dolosbage, Ceylon. 



Poltys (C. L. Koch), 1843. 

 63. Poltys illepidus (C. L. Koch). 



Nocturnal spider, caught by chance in the dark. So far 

 as I know it has no web. In the twilight I saw it dimly 

 outlined among creepers and seized it, thiuking it was a fruit. 

 It was lying among withered branches and leaves on the top 

 of the tennis netting, where it probably rests during the day. 



Locality. Madras city. Previously reported only from 

 Ceylon. 



