On some Arachnida from the Island of Johanna. 41 



III. — On a small Collection of Arachnida from the Island 

 of Johanna , with Note on a Homopterous Insect from the same 

 Locality. By Arthur G. Butler, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. 



[Plate L] 



In the year 1877 Mr. C. W. Bewsher sent to the British 

 Museum a series of Arthropoda collected by himself in the 

 island of Johanna, Comoro group. 



Of the insects under my immediate charge the Hemiptera 

 Homoptera were alone represented, by an apparently new 

 species of Phymatostetha, Stal. Unfortunately the example 

 was sent over in spirits of wine, and is so discoloured and 

 shrivelled as to render it impossible to characterize it with 

 certainty. 



The Arachnida are represented by seven species of Ara- 

 neidea, five of which appear to be distinct from any thing 

 hitherto described ; they exhibit a strongly marked Mascarene 

 character : the two most interesting forms in the collection 

 are a new species of Spermophora (Pholcidte) and a probably 

 new species of Pasithea. 



The following is a list of the species : — 



1. Scytodes amarantea. 



Scytodes amarantea, Vinson, Aran, de la Reunion, Maurice et Mada- 

 gascar, p. 11, pi. i. fig. 2 (1863). 



The single specimen sent is unfortunately destitute of abdo- 

 men. This fact, taken in conjunction with the long legs of 

 the species (the femora of which are distinctly rugulose), gives 

 it so completely the facies of a Phalangid, that until I had 

 subjected it to a careful examination I was completely puzzled 

 as to what genus it belonged to. 



2. Pasithea foliif era j n. sp. (PI. I. fig. 1.) 



Cephalothorax fulvous, marked with black dots and lateral 

 divergent lines^ as in P. Lucasii ; eyes black ; legs fulvous, 

 rather thickly studded with long black spines, but not banded 

 with black ; abdomen bright sap-green, the whole central area 

 on the upper surface occupied by a broad, central, longitudinal, 

 slightly darker green band, of a leaf-like form, bordered ana 

 intersected with white ; ventral surface with pale central area 

 bounded by two slightly divergent curved white stripes. 



Structure similar to that of P. Lucasii ; relative length of 

 legs 1, 2, 4, 3 ; length of cephalothorax and abdomen together 

 14 millims. 



It is just possible that this may be a remarkable variety of 



