176 Mr. J. Blackwall on newly discovered species 0/ Araneidea. 



thorax in two sliort, transverse, slightly curved, concentric rows, 

 whose convexity is directed backwards, the intermediate ones of 

 the anterior row being rather the smallest and darkest of the 

 eight. The cephalo-thorax is oval, convex, glossy, with slight 

 furrows on the sides converging towards a narrow indentation 

 in the medial line ; it is sparingly clothed with hoary hairs, some 

 of which are disposed in three faint rows on each side, along the 

 furrows ; the falces are conical, vertical, and armed with a few 

 minute teeth on the inner surface ; the maxillae are powerful, 

 enlarged where the palpi are inserted, greatly dilated at the base, 

 rounded at the extremity, and inclined towards the lip, which is 

 longer than broad and rounded at the apex; the sternum is 

 heart-shaped. These parts are of a brown colour, the margins of 

 the cephalo-thorax and sternum, and the base of the lip being 

 much the darkest. The legs are long, slender, provided with hairs 

 and sessile spines, and are of a yellowish brown colour, with the 

 exception of the femora of the first and second pairs which have 

 a dark brown hue, those of the second pair being the paler; the 

 fourth pair is rather 'onger than the first, which surpasses the se- 

 cond, and the third pair is the shortest ; each tarsus is terminated 

 by two plain curved claws, below which there is a small scopula. 

 The palpi are robust ; the humeral and cubital joints are somewhat 

 darker coloured than the legs, and the radial and digital joints 

 have a dark brown tint ; the humeral joint has a gibbosity near its 

 extremity on the under side, which is provided with short hairs, 

 and the radial joint projects forwards, from its outer side, a very 

 large curved apophysis, whose yellowish brown extremity is 

 slightly bifid; the digital joint is of an elongated oval fomi, 

 convex and hairy externally, concave within, comprising the 

 palpal organs ; these organs are highly developed, very protu- 

 berant at the base, which is convex and glossy, and have a small 

 prominent process at the extremity; they are of a dark brown 

 colour faintly tinged w^ith red. The abdomen is oviform, glossy, 

 thinly clothed with short hairs, convex above, projecting a little 

 over the base of the cephalo-thorax, and is of a dark brown 

 colour, the under part being the palest ; there is a spot on each 

 side of the anterior extremity, a fine line extending thence along 

 the middle of the upper part nearly half of its length, and an 

 oblique, transverse, curved line, whose extremities pass along the 

 sides to the under part, and whose middle portion, abruptly 

 curved forwards, is bisected by the point of the fine medial line ; 

 these marks are somewhat obscure, of a deep yellowish brown 

 hue, and are sparingly covered with hoary hairs ; a few white 

 hairs form a minute spot immediately above the spinners, and 

 the colour of the branchial opercula is brown. 



Two adult males of Drassus propinquus, which is closely allied 



