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



Gasteracantha helva. 



Length of the female y^ths of an inch ; length of the cephalo- 

 thorax /^ ; breadth f ; breadth of the abdomen /^ ; length of a 

 posterior leg f ; length of a leg of the third pair /^. The abdo- 

 minal spines are not included in the measurement. 



The abdomen is rather broader than long, and has somewhat 

 the form of a trapezoid, the posterior side being the longest, and 

 the anterior side much the shortest ; it is provided with six 

 strong, pointed, rugged, hairy, glossy, bke-black spines, each 

 having a reddish-yellow streak on the under side extending from 

 the base nearly half its length ; two of the spines arc situated at 

 its posterior extremity, and two on each side of the carapace ; 

 the two anterior spines, which are the smallest and conical, are 

 directed outwards and slightly upwards ; the two intermediate 

 ones, which are the largest, and nearly cylindrical, except at the 

 point, are directed obliquely outwards and upwards; and the 

 two posterior ones are conical and extended horizontally ; the 

 carapace is firm, glossy, and of a deep reddish-yellow colour ; 

 ten oval depressions, forming dark brown spots tinged with red, 

 constitute a curved row near the lateral and frontal margins, 

 the two lateral ones being the largest, and the two intermediate 

 ones the smallest ; four similar spots, but smaller and rounder, 

 are situated in the middle, and almost describe a square, the 

 two posterior ones being rather the widest apart ; between the 

 two largest spines there are ten depressions ; the six interme- 

 diate ones form a slightly curved row whose convexity is directed 

 forwards, and the two intermediate ones of the six are very mi- 

 nute and little conspicuous ; the base of each posterior spine 

 and the space between them have a deep reddish-yellow hue ; 

 the under part is very convex, greatly corrugated, marked with 

 numerous depressions, and is of a dark brown colour spotted 

 with deep reddish yellow ; the spinners are encircled by a very 

 prominent rim, and have a dark brown hue, and the sexual 

 organs have a small, prominent, depressed, yellowish-brown 

 process directed backwards from their posterior margin. The 

 cephalothorax is somewhat quadrate, the sides being slightly 

 rounded ; the anterior part is abruptly elevated throughout its 

 entire breadth, granulated, glossy, thinly clothed with whitish 

 hairs, and has a longitudinal furrow in the middle; and the 

 posterior part is depressed, with a large indentation in the me- 

 dial line, and a smaller one on each side of it ; it is of a brownish- 

 black colour, the middle of the posterior part having a yellow- 

 brown hue. The eyes are small, and situated immediately above 

 the frontal margin ; the four intermediate ones, which are seated 

 on a protuberance, nearly form a square, the two anterior ones 

 being larger and rather nearer to each other than the posterior 



