Bpiders and Opiliones.] SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. l7l 



these. The median eyes are half the diameter of the laterals, their diameter apart, 

 and the same distance from the side eyes. The clypeus is the breadth of the side 

 eyes. 



The mandibles (in male) are long, narrow, and projecting, as long as the cephalo- 

 thorax, and in breadth less than half the width of the same in front ; they do not 

 quite meet at their bases. There is a large well-defined basal spot. From their 

 base to half their length they gradually broaden, narrowing again to the apex, with 

 a fang-sheath reaching to their middle point. At quite the lower end of this are 3 

 small equal teeth on the inner margin, 1 larger above, and 2 quite small teeth on the 

 outer, all close together. The fangs are half as long as the mandibles, thin, and wavy. 

 In the female the mandibles are shorter, and vertical. 



The lip is broad and straight in front, slightly longer than broad, and more than 

 half the length of the maxillae. These are upright, straight, and wide in front, the 

 straight outer margin incurving from the point where it joins the top, in an angle 

 on one maxilla, but rounded on the other (probably the angular one is abnormal) ; 

 the inner margin curves over the lip till it meets the sloping troncature. 



The sternum is shield-shaped, convex, straight in front, and projecting in a 

 narrow point between the rear coxae, which are not contiguous. 



The legs are very fine and long. The tarsal joints are without spines, terminated 

 by 3 small fine claws, with about 5 short pectinations on the superior and 3 on the 

 inferior. On the metatarsi there is 1 spine above, a pair at the sides, and a bunch 

 at the anterior end. The palpi are long and thin ; the tibial joint much longer than 

 the patellar, and the cap of the distal joint as long as the tibia, with a small bulb and 

 projector at the basal end. 



The abdomen is cylindrical, long and narrow, with rough hairs on the upper side, 

 finer and sparser hairs on the under. 



The spinnerets stand on hard smooth bases, the inferior largest, half their 

 diameter apart, with a quite short 2nd joint ; the superior the same. They are 

 preceded by a colulus. 



This species would seem to conform to M. Simon's South American species rather 

 than to the Tasraanian forms described by him. It has 3 equal teeth on the inner 

 margin of the falx-sheath, a squarer-shaped lip, and narrower clypeus ; the smooth 

 tarsi, however, and long sloping mandibular troncatures agree with the latter. In 

 none of the descriptions of the species to which I have been able to refer is there 

 any mention of projecting mandibles equal in length to the cephalothorax, as in 

 this case, and in this particular it is more like an Argyroneta. 



In size it agrees most closely with R. parocvdus, E. Simon, from Tasmania, though 

 not the same," as in the latter all the eyes are equal, and the colouring of lip, maxillae, 

 sternum, and legs much darker. M. Simon writes of it as being " a very abnormal 

 species, which will without doubt become the type of a special genus." He does not, 

 however, point out the specialities to which he alludes. I leave this one in the genus 

 Rubrius for a better knowledge of it gained from more material. I think its proper 

 place should be in the Argyroneteae, somewhere between Argyroneta and Camhridgea, 

 with the latter of which it has many points in common, notably the lip and maxillae 

 and male palp ; still, it agrees with every point mentioned in M. Simon's specifica- 

 tion of the genus Rubrius. 



