THE ANNALS 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



[FOURTH SERIES.] 

 No. 60. DECEMBER 1872. 



LVIII. — On a neio Family and Genus and two new Species 

 of Thelyphonidea. By the Rev. 0. P. Cambridge, M.A., 

 C.M.Z.S. 



[Plate XXn.] 



In September 1871, among numerous spiders of great interest 

 received from Ceylon from Mr. G. H. K. Thwaites were 

 several other minute Arachnids. At first sight I was inclined 

 to pass them over as very young examples of some species of 

 Thelyplionus \ but a closer examination showed them to be 

 not only destitute of eyes (no vestige of a visual organ being 

 apparent) , but presenting some other remarkable differences in 

 form and structure from the genus Thelyphonus. The prin- 

 cipal of these differences (which seem to render it necessary 

 to form a new family to receive these arachnids) are the sub- 

 division of the cephalothorax into two segments, the broad 

 fore part, and the convexity of the first segment (including the 

 caput), whose fore margin is prolonged into a central pointed 

 beak-like prominence ; other interesting and important generic 

 and specific characters are also detailed below. As far as I am 

 able to determine, the examples comprise two species. 



Mr. Thwaites informs me that these arachnids were found 

 by M. Ferdinandus (the successful discoverer of the four- 

 eyed spiders, Miagranwioi^es^ Cambr.) among decayed leaves 

 &c. on the ground. The absence of eyes was observed by 

 M. Ferdinandus, who begged Mr. Thwaites to call my atten- 

 tion to it. 



The discovery of a blind arachnid thus above ground is a 

 remarkable fact. As far as I am aware, there is no instance 

 on record of any blind creature having ever been found except 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 4. Vol x. 29 



