ARANEIDEA. 3 



This appears to be a large proportion of undescribed species, but no more than might be 

 expected from a district hitherto wholly (so far as I am aware) unknown to arachnologists. 

 The researches of Alexis Fedtschenko, Reise in Turkestan, lately (in respect at least to the 

 Araneidea) published by Kronenberg, give 146 species, of which 101 are identified with 

 known European species. Excepting the Latin descriptions of new species, this work is 

 written in the Russian language, with which I have, unfortunately, no acquaintance whatever- 

 Eight only of the spiders described or recorded by Kronenberg appear to me identical with 

 those contained in Dr. Stoliczka's collection. These are Epeira tartarica, Kron. ; Epeira 

 cornuta, Clk. ; Epeira cucurbitina, Clk. ; Tetragnatha extensa, Linn. ; Pachygnatha clerckiii 

 Sund. : Erigone dentipalpis, Wid. ; Theridion tuberctilatitm, Kron. ; and Xysticus crisiatus, 

 Clk. At first sight it might seem remarkable that so large a proportion of the collection 

 made by Fedtschenko in Western Turkestan should be identical with European species, while 

 so small a proportion out of those collected by Dr. Stoliczka are similarly identical ; but when 

 it is borne in mind that more than half of Dr. Stoliczka's collection was made in Murree and 

 Cashmere, we need not be surprised at these results, for, indeed, a comparatively small collec- 

 tion only can be said to have been made in Eastern Turkestan, and that chiefly on the high 

 mountain ranges and during the winter and early spring months ; these months being 

 probably there, as in other analogous districts, the least favourable for the fullest develop- 

 ment of the Araneidea. 



I have observed that the number of species contained in Dr. Stoliczka's collection cannot 

 be by any means considered a full representation of the spiders inhabiting the country travelled 

 over. The season of the year had probably much to do with this paucity of species, but more 

 than anything else it may be accounted for when we remember the number of irons Dr- 

 Stoliczka had in the fire, embracing the whole field of the zoology, as well as of the geology, 

 of the districts visited ; instead, therefore, of being surprised at the smallness of the arachno- 

 logical results of the expedition, we must, under the circumstances, wonder at their extent. 

 We may look forward now with great interest to future collections made in the north of 

 India, on the southern slopes of the mountain ranges of Cashmere, and in the plains adjoining, 

 where we should expect the tropical character of the spiders to become far more marked, 

 though probably still with a great diversity in the species from those found in the more 

 central regions of India. No materials, however, exist, so far as I am aware, for any com- 

 parison upon these points ; indeed, the materials for comparison with any Indian spiders are, 

 as yet, comparatively small, and but little has been hitherto published upon them. 



Order ARANEIDEA. 



Family THERAPHOSIDES. 



Gonna IDIOPS, Forty. 



1. IDIOPS DESIGNATUS, sp. n., PI. I, Pig. 1, <? . 



Adult male : length 5| lines ; to the end of falces G| lines ; length of cephalothorax 

 3 lines (nearly) ; breadth rather over 2|. 



Cephalothorax round-oval, truncated at each end and rather flattened ; it is of a bright 

 red-brown colour, and the normal indentations are strongly marked. The caput is a little 

 elevated above the general level, being rather the highest near the occiput, across which is a 



A! 



