88 SECOND YARKAND MISSION. 







41. STEATODA SORDIDATA, sp. n. 



Adult female: length 2| lines. 



In form and structure this spider resembles Steatoda nigrocincta. The eyes, however, 

 are smaller and more closely grouped, and the line formed by two fore-centrals is longer than 

 that formed by the hind-central pair. The whole of the fore part is of a dull dark-brown 

 colour, tinged with yellow. The abdomen is similar, but without the yellowish tinge ; a broad 

 longitudinal median band, as well as a narrower, lateral, dentated one on each side, meeting 

 round the fore extremity, are formed by white cretaceous spots ; and a similar line longitudi- 

 nally bisects the under side ; four small impressed black spots form a square (whose fore side 

 is shortest) on the fore half of the upper side. 



Sab. Hills between Sirikol and Aktalla, May 8th to 13th, 1874. 



Genus DREPANODU8, Menge. 



42. DREPANODUS MANDIBULARIS. 



Theridion mandibulare, Lucas, Eiplor. en Algerie, p. 260, pi. 17, fig. 1. 

 Pachygnatha mandibularis, Cambr., Spid. Pal. and Syr., P. Z. S., 1872, p. 294. 

 Steatoda mandibularis, Sim., Bull. Soo. Ent. Pr., 1873, p. 222. 

 Epeira diversa, Bl., Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., October 1859. 



Hob. Examples of the female of this puzzling spider were found in Dr. Stoliczka's col- 

 lection, taken en route from Yarkand to Bursi, May 28th to June 17th,' 1874. 



The difficulty of assigning to it its correct systematic place is very evident from the syno- 

 nyms above quoted. Mons. Eugene Simon has, however, lately suggested to me that it is 

 nearly allied to Drepanodus obscurus, Menge, and, entirely agreeing with this, I have placed 

 it here in that genus. 



Genus PHYCUS, Cambr. 



The short broad form and very laterigrade appearance of the typical example of this 

 genus led to the conjecture that it belonged to the family Thomisides ( vide O. P. Cambridge, 

 ' On some new Genera and Species of Araniedea,' in Proc. Zool. Soc., 1870, p. 742, pi. xliv, 

 fig. 9. Subsequent examination leads me to conclude that its proper place is in the family 

 Theridiides (not far from the genus, Euryopis (Thor.), but certainly not among the Orbite- 

 larias, as conjectured by Dr. T. Thorell (Syn. Eur. Spid., p. 600). 



43. PHTCTJS SAGITTATUS, sp. n. 



Adult female : length 2 lines. 



The cephalothorax is short, broad behind, and narrowing gradually forwards, but without 

 much lateral constriction at the caput : this portion is large, bluff in front, considerably 

 elevated, rising gradually but quickly from the thorax. The clypeus rather exceeds in height 

 half that of the facial space : it is round on the lower margin, and full and rather prominent, 

 projecting gradually from just beneath the front row of eyes. The colour of the cephalo- 

 thorax is a doep yellowish-brown, and behind each hind-lateral eye is a strongish, curved, 



