394 Mr. J. Blackwall on new Species of East-Indian Spiders. 



yellowish-white colour, and are terminated by a strong, curved, 

 dark red-brown process. 



I have connected the name of Captain Francis Lyon with this 

 highly interesting Pholcus; and I entertain a hope that his 

 excellent example of collecting and transmitting specimens of 

 natural objects to this country may be extensively followed by 

 gentlemen who, by professional engagements or the love of 

 enterprise, may be led to sojourn in our Indian possessions. 



Numerous specimens of this curious species, in almost every 

 stage of growth, were comprised in the collection ; it chiefly in- 

 habits the interior of buildings, and must be very abundant in 

 those parts of India in which it was obtained. A careful in- 

 spection of these specimens led to the discovery of one in the 

 adult state in which the two sexes were united, the left side (as 

 indicated by the very remarkable structure of the palpus, palpal 

 organs, and falx) being that of a male, and the right side (as 

 shown by the structure of the palpus, falx, and the small and 

 irregularly developed vulva) being that of a female : unfortunately 

 the two anterior legs were missing; consequently it was not 

 possible to determine whether they manifested the usual con- 

 formation characteristic of sex or not ; but that such would have 

 been the case, had they been present, scarcely a doubt can be 

 entertained. Among the many thousands of spiders that I have 

 examined, this is the only instance of the union of the sexes in 

 the same individual that has come under my notice ; and, as I 

 have not met with any record of a similar case, in the course of 

 my reading, it must be one of exceedingly rare occurrence. 



Genus Artema, Walck. 

 Artema convexa, 



Artema convexa, Blackw., Annals & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 3. vol. ii. p. 332, 

 and vol. xviii. p. 459. 



Specimens of both sexes of Artema convexa, in the adult state 

 and in various stages of development, were contained in the 

 collection. The large brown-black spots on the upper part of 

 the abdomen in every instance formed two distinct longitudinal 

 rows, proving that their occasional junction merely constitutes 

 a variety of the species. 



I have received specimens of this Artema from Pernambuco 

 and from Equatorial Africa ; and the curious fact of its very 

 extensive geographical distribution is rendered the more sur- 

 prising by the circumstance of its being a spider that commonly 

 inhabits the interior of buildings. 



