Spiders from the Bahama Islands. 327 
i. Hairs on the legs tufted and the femoral tuft also 
very distinct. 
a. Carapace with tubercles. 
6. Carapace without tubercles ....... Pits oleae ls clavipes, Linn. 
iil, Hairs on the legs not tufted and femoral fingers 
almost obsolete. 
a’. Carapace with tubercles .........+.++  chetanatehe cornuta, Pallas. 
b’, Carapace without tubercles. 
Of the males I am able so far to identify only one form 
undoubtedly assignable to each of the two species above desig- 
nated as clavipes and cornuta. 
Examples from various localities in the British Museum 
collection are referable as follows :— 
The Bahama Islands,—Examples of the female sex have tufted legs, 
without cephalic tubercles: i. 0. 
St. Domingo.—Females without tubercles and without tufted legs: 
it Os 
Bermuda,-—Females with tufted legs and without tubercles: 1. 0. 
Trinidad.— Females with tufted legs and with cephalic tubercles : i. a. 
Venezuela—Females with tufted legs and strong cephalic tubercles: 
ied! 
Caraccas.—Females with tufted legs, but. tubercles almost obsolete : 
iets 
Demerara.—Females with tubercles, without leg-tufts: 11. a’. 
Pernambuco.—Females with tubercles, with leg-tufts: i. a. 
Amazons,—Females with tubercles, without tufted legs: ii. a’. 
New Granada.—Femates with small tubercles and both forms of legs : 
Loy Cael lencl 
Mexico.—Females with tufted legs and without tubercles : i. 4. 
California —Females with tufted legs and without tubercles: i, 5, 
Neither of these two characters therefore appears to be con- 
stant; the tufts on the legs vary in length and extent, while 
the tubercles range from nothing upwards; and since the males 
of the extreme forms cannot be separated, it is highly probable 
that all these females are varieties of one species. 
I would therefore urge upon those who have leisure in any 
of these islands to send home at any rate a few examples of 
the females as well as of the males of these gigantic spiders. 
Both sexes may be found in the proper season in the large 
wheel-like orb-web which forms so conspicuous a feature in 
tropical and subtropical gardens, open spaces, and forest ; but 
the male is a minute and very different-looking spider from 
the female. 
GASTERACANTHA, Sundevall, 1833. 
The subjoined are the more important forms of this genus 
occurring in the Central-American and Antillesian region. 
