266 Mr. J. Blackwall on new species of Madeiran Spiders. 



Specimens of this minute spider were found in a house among 

 loose papers. 



Genus (Ecobius, Lucas. 

 (Ecobius navus. 



Length of the female, not including the spinners, T l „ th of an 

 inch ; length of the cephalothorax ^ ; breadth ^ ; breadth of 

 the abdomen s \ ; length of an anterior leg -^ ; length of a leg 

 of the third pair ^. 



The cephalothorax is circular, glossy, convex above, particu- 

 larly in the cephalic region, with a large indentation in the me- 

 dial line, and the frontal margin, which is produced, covers the 

 base of the falces ; it is of a pale brownish-yellow colour, with a 

 longitudinal brown-black band in the middle, whose anterior 

 extremity is much the broadest, narrow black lateral margins, 

 above each of which three spots of the same hue are disposed in 

 a parallel row, and two black spots of a larger size situated in 

 front. The falces are slender, subcylindrical, and vertical : the 

 maxillae are short, convex near the base, pointed at the extre- 

 mity, and strongly inclined towards the lip, which is triangular : 

 the sternum is short, broad, and heart-shaped : the legs are 

 rather robust, provided with hairs, equal in length, and each 

 tarsus is terminated by two curved, pectinated claws : the palpi, 

 which are strong, somewhat pediform, and inserted near the 

 middle of the outer side of the maxillse, have a curved, pectinated 

 claw at their extremity. These parts are of a very pale brownish- 

 yellow colour ; the sternum and maxillse are the palest, and the 

 base of the lip, a few spots on the palpi, and numerous annuli 

 on the legs have a brownish-black hue. The abdomen is ovi- 

 form, thinly clothed with hairs, convex above, and projects over 

 the base of the cephalothorax ; it is of a pale yellowish-brown 

 colour spotted with white on the upper part ; there is a large 

 curved band at the anterior part, contiguous to the cephalo- 

 thorax, whose bifid extremities extend to the sides ; two minute 

 spots, placed transversely, occur near the superior margin of the 

 band, and are followed by angular lines forming a W, to which 

 succeed three triangular spots whose vertices are in contact, or 

 nearly so, the anterior one being much the largest, and the sides 

 are marked with spots and oblique streaks ; the band, spots, 

 and streaks have a black hue ; and a triangular space, conspi- 

 cuously spotted with white, whose vertex touches the coccyx, is 

 bordered with black ; the spinners are of a pale yellowish-brown 

 colour ; the two superior ones are long, triarticulate, and have 

 the spinning-tubes arranged along the inferior surface of their 

 terminal joint, which has a dark-brown hue on its superior 

 surface ; and a short brownish-black streak, enlarged at its ante- 



