1873.] GENERA AND SPECIES OF ARANEIDEA. 127 



eluding the prominent ocular portion, is concealed by the enormous 

 development of the corneous covering of the abdomen ; but when 

 viewed laterally the caput is seen protruding slightly forwards from 

 beneath the fore margin, like the head of a tortoise ; owing to the 

 prominence of the caput, the clypeus is very retreating, and the 

 falces are set far back. 



The eyes are rather large, and not very unequal in size ; they are 

 grouped at the upper extremity of the prominence : as in Phoron- 

 cidia, four form a central square, near on either side of which is a 

 lateral pair, the foremost eye of each pair being almost contiguous 

 to the fore central eye on its side. 



The colour of the cephalothorax and falces is yellow-brown, that 

 of the maxillse, labium, and sternum yellow, the maxillae being 

 marked with dark brown near their bases. 



The legs are rather strong, but short, and when at rest folded in- 

 wards and entirely concealed by the abdomen ; those of the fourth pair 

 are longer than those of the first, and those of the third pair are the 

 shortest ; they are all of a yellow colour, and are furnished with hairs. 



The palpi are short, slender, and similar to the legs in colour. 



The maxillce are very nearly like those of Phoroncidia, but are 

 not quite so strong, rather longer, and more curved over the labium. 



The abdomen is nearly round when looked at from above ; but the 

 ■centre of the fore margin is slightly and obtusely prominent. The 

 surface is corneous, and of a silvery yellowish colour ; it is covered 

 with slight shallow but general depressions, giving it an undulating 

 appearance ; the lowest part of each depression is indicated by a 

 'largish, nearly round or oval, smooth, shining, red-brown, flat scale- 

 like spot, margined with black. The general surface is broken up 

 into small roundish somewhat tuberculous markings, and is covered 

 sparingly with short prominent hairs ; the sides and fore part are also 

 speckled with small red-brown points ; and the hinder part is trans- 

 versely rugulose, and marked by some short transverse red-brown 

 dashes. The scale-like spots above mentioned form a single marginal 

 row, with a central quadrangle whose fore side is much the shortest. 

 The underside is yellow, spotted and marked with red-brown ; and 

 the spinners occupy the extremity of a large truncated yellow-brown 

 cone, beneath the hinder part of the abdomen. 



A single adult female of this very remarkable little Spider was sent 

 me from Ceylon in 1871 by Mr. Thwaites ; it seems to bear the same 

 ■relation to Phoroncidia in the family Theridiides as Eurysoma does 

 to Gasteracantha in the family Epeirides. 



Stegosoma nastjtum, sp. nov. (Plate XIV. fig. 11.) 



Male adult, length f line ; female, 1 line. 



This species is nearly allied to S. testudo ; but the surface of the 

 abdomen is more uneven or undulating (having several strongish pro- 

 tuberances on its upperside, the strongest protuberance being in the 

 centre), while in general form it resembles it very closely ; the fore 

 margin, however, instead of being prominent at the centre, is even 

 with the rest; but the hinder extremity is very slightly prominent. 



