Mr. J. Blackwall on Sicilian Spiders. 401 



Family Ctenophokid^e. 



Two spiders, belonging to the genera Ctenopliora and Galena, 

 at present oonstitute the family Ctenophoridm ; they are espe- 

 cially characterized by a conspicuous comb-like appendage, 

 consisting of a series of curved spines of various lengths sym- 

 metrically arranged, which is situated on the anterior side of 

 each tibia and metatarsus of the first and second pairs of legs. 

 One of these spiders is indigenous to Sicily, and the other to 

 Rio Janeiro ; but their habits and economy have not yet been 

 ascertained. 



Genus Ctenophora, Blackw. 



Eyes disposed on the anterior part of the cephalothorax in 

 two transverse rows ; the four intermediate ones nearly form a 

 square, the two anterior ones, which are seated on a protube- 

 rance and are wider apart than the posterior ones, being the 

 largest of the eight ; the eyes of each lateral pair are placed 

 obliquely on a small tubercle, and are contiguous. 



Falces long, powerful, vertical, united at the base, and 

 armed with a short curved fang and a few small teeth at the 

 extremity. 



MaxillcB slender, pointed at the extremity, and strongly in- 

 clined towards the lip. 



Lij) semicircular. 



Legs very long and slender, especially those of the first and 

 second pairs, and provided with spines ; on the anterior side 

 of the tibiaj and metatarsi of the first and second pairs there is 

 a series of long, prominent, slightly curved spines ; and in each 

 of the wide intervals by which they are separated a row of 

 shorter curved spines is situated, which gradually increase in 

 length as they extend down the joints ; the first pair of legs is 

 much the longest, then the second, and the third pair is the 

 shortest. 



Ctenophora monticola, n. sp. PI. VIII. fig. 6. 



Length of the female \ of an inch ; length of the cephalo- 

 thorax -[V, breadth -^ ; breadth of the abdomen -L ; length of 

 an anterior leg -f ; length of a leg of the third pair \. 



The legs have a brownish-yellow hue, and are marked with 

 soot-coloured spots and annuli ; each tarsus is terminated by 

 three claws ; the two superior ones are curved and pectinated, 

 and the inferior one is inflected near its base. The palpi are 

 slender, rather paler than the legs, with a soot-coloured spot 

 at the base of the radial joint, on the under side, and an an- 

 nulus of the same hue at the base of the long digital joint. 



