26 Rev. 0. P. Camlbridge on some new 



II. — On some new Genera and Species of Araneidea. 

 By the Rev. O. P. Cambridge, M.A., C.M.Z.S., &c. 



[Plates VI. & Vn.] 



Six out of the eleven spiders here described are from Aus- 

 tralia, two from South America, two from Madagascar, and 

 one from Ceylon. Those from Madagascar are of very great 

 interest ; one [Phoroncidia aurata) is a peculiarly brilliant 

 species of Prof. Westwood's curious genus ; the other [Augusta 

 'papilionacea) is the type of a new genus, forming a link 

 between the Gasteracanthides and the remarkable spiders 

 of the genus Arcys [Arhys^ Walck.). The general appearance 

 of this spider is very striking, and reminds one of a small 

 butterfly. 



My thanks are due to the authorities at the British Museum 

 for kindly permitting me to describe and figure those of the 

 above spiders belonging to the family Theraphosides, the types 

 of which are in the national collection. The remainder are 

 described and figured from examples in my own possession. 



Order Araneidea. 

 Fam. Theraphosides. 



Gen. nov. Atrax. 



Generic characters. 



Cephalothorax much longer than broad, lateral constriction 

 at caput slight ; fore part truncate, and rather narrower than 

 the hinder part ; caput not much elevated above the thorax, 

 though rather roundly convex. 



Falces large, massive, and very prominent, but with no 

 teeth at the fore extremity of the upperside. 



Eyes small and not greatly unequal in size ; their position 

 is very nearly that of Nemesia, the four exterior ones (being 

 the laterals of each row) forming a transverse oblong figure 

 whose fore side is rather shorter than the hinder one ; and 

 within this oblong is another shorter one, formed by the fore 

 and hind central pairs of eyes, and whose fore side is consider- 

 ably shorter than the hinder one. 



Legs moderately long, strong ; terminal claws three ; no sco- 

 pula at the extremities. Relative length 4, 1, 2, 3. 



Maxilla} long, cylindrical, but prominent in an obtusely 

 pointed form at the inner side of the fore extremity. 



Labium short, of a round-oval form, rather truncated at the 

 apex. 



