160 Christmas Island. 



9. Cyrtophora unicolor (DoL). (PL XYI, Fig. 3.) 



Epeira unicolor, Doleschall : Xat. Tijdsclirift Xederland. Indie, 1857. xiii 

 (ser. in, vol. iii), p. 149 ; Verh. Nat. Vereen. Xederland. Indie, 

 1858-9, V, pi. ii, fig. i. Thorell : Ann. Mus. Geneva, 1878, 

 xiii, p. o2. 



Abundant on the island. 



Ranges from Ceylon to Aniboina. 



A full figure of this species is also published on PI. XYI, as 

 forming a striking feature of the spider fauna of the island. 



"Geometrical snare suiTounded by mass of irregularly arranged 

 threads ; sometimes a number of spiders found together in large 

 compound vreb. Spiders always found in curled - up dead leaf 

 towards outer part of snare." 



10. Nephila nigritarsis, L. Koch. 



Die Aracliniden Anstraliens, i, p. lo2, pi. xii, figs. 4, 4rt. 



Subsp. insulicola, nov. 

 = X. nigritarsin, L. Koch: Pocock, P.Z.S., 1888, p. 560. 



Eecognizable from the typical form which occurs in Queensland, 

 at least in having the anterior portion of the sterniim entirely black 

 instead of being furnished with a broad yellow border. 



Abundant in the island. Many specimens were taken by 

 Mr. Andi-ews and previously by Mr. J. J. Lister. "Makes 

 geometrical webs of yellow silk in the forest among trees and 

 bushes, sometimes at considerable heights from the ground." 



11. Cyclosa mulmeinensis (Thorell). 



J?peirii mulmeinensis, Thor. : Ann. Mus. Genova, 1887, xiv, p. 221. 



Epeira {Ci/closa) mulmeinensis, id. : Desci-iptive Cat. Spiders of Burma, 1896, 



p. 192. 

 Cyclosa mulmeinensis, Simon : Hist. Xat. Araiguees, 1894, i, pt. 3, p. 784. 



" East coast. Geometrical web on face of limestone cliffs." 

 The Christmas Island specimens of this species seem to be 

 identical with those obtained by Mr. Gates at Tharrawaddy in 

 Burma, except that the abdominal tubercles are not apparent. The 

 prominence of the tubercle is probably dependent upon the degree 

 of distension of the abdomen, as is the case in Carostris and some 

 other tuberculate spiders. "When the spider is full fed and the 

 abdominal integument at its utmost stretch, the tubercles become 

 reduced or vanish altogether ; when the spider is killed in a fasting 



