THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



[SEVENTH SERIES.] 

 No. 118. OOTOBER 1907. 



XLTI. — New South- African Spiders of the Family Drassidas 

 in the Collection of the South- African Museum. By W. F. 

 PuRCELL, Ph.D., Cape Town. 



[Plates XIII.-XV.] 



The spiders of the family Drassidffi are particularly 

 numerous both in species and individuals throughout all the 

 non-tropical parts of South Africa. Only very hw South- 

 African species have, however, as yet been described, and 

 the entire collection in the South-African Museum, with the 

 exception of one or two forms, is still new to science. The 

 present paper contains the descriptions of fifty-three new 

 species, being that portion of the Collection pertaining to the 

 genera Platyoides, Cambr., Theuma, E. Sim., Drassodes, 

 Westr., Scotophceus, E. Sim., and Melanophora, C. Koch, 

 as defined in Simon's Hist. Nat. Araign. 2nd ed., togetlier 

 with two new genera for certain forms which did not seem to 

 fall into any of the genera recognized by Simon. In the 

 present uncertain state of the classification of the Drassida? 

 all of these genera are to be considered as more or less of a 

 temporary nature. All localities are in Cape Colony, except 

 when otherwise stated. 



Genus Platyoides, Cambr. 



1. Platyoides hidentattcs, sp. n. 

 (Plate XIII. figs. 1&2.) 



Specimens. — (a) 3 !]? $ and 1 (J from Kentani and 

 Ann. t£- i%. N. Hist. Scr. 7. Vol. xx. 20 



