576 REV. O. p. CAMBRIDGK ON NEW ARANEIDEA. [Juiie 19, 



Maxillce rather short, slightly divergent, and much the broadest 

 at their extremities, which are rounded. 



Labium short, small, and of a somewhat curviangular form. 



Abdomen small, short, oval, and sloping from its most convex 

 part, near the fore margin, to the spinners. 



Athamas whitmeei, sp. n. (Plate LVI. fig. 11.) 



Adult male, length 1 1 line. 



The cephalothorax of this very pretty and distinct Spider is of a 

 yellow-brown colour, with a large pale patch on each side of the 

 hinder extremity, and the ocular area black, thinly clothed with 

 short white hairs, and shining, in some lights, with a strong metallic 

 dark violet hue ; a pale stripe densely clothed with bright white 

 squamosa hairs runs through the middle of the hinder half of the 

 ocular area to the beginning of the posterior slope ; there is also a 

 spot of similar hairs on each side towards the hinder part, and 

 another on each side near the hinder part of the ocular area, just 

 below the eyes of the third row ; the height of the clypeus is ratlier 

 less than the diameter of one of the first row of eyes. 



The ejies may be described not only as in four transverse rows or 

 four pairs, but as in two longitudinal, and nearly straight, parallel 

 lines. The foremost pair are of enormous size, contiguous to each 

 other, and placed on the vertical front of the ca})ut ; the two next 

 to them are on the upper edge of the caput, and form a line but 

 very slightly longer than the first pair ; they are also large, but not 

 nearly so large as the former, and are separated by rather less than 

 two diameters ; those of the next row are very minute and not easily 

 distinguished, they form a Hne shorter than tiie last-mentioned eyes, 

 but separated by a rather wider interval ; these minute eyes are 

 about halfway between those of the second and fourth rows. Those 

 of the fourth row are considerably smaller than those of the second, 

 and are divided by an interval of three diameters. The line, how- 

 ever, that they form is nearly of the same length. 



The leys are yellow, the femora and the two other basal joints of 

 the first pair being much stronger than the rest, and brownish black 

 on each side. This, however, is apparently not a constant character ; 

 or at any rate it does not always exist at the first coming of the 

 Spider to maturity, but probably is acquired later ; for in one of the 

 examples before me the fifst pair are of the same colour as the rest, 

 and the femora of only ordinarj' comparative strength, and the legs 

 themselves shorter and weaker. They are furnished sparingly with 

 hairs and a few slender spines, except the first pair, in which there 

 are five pairs of long strong spines beneath the tibise, and three pairs 

 (rather longer and stronger still) beneath the metatarsus, disposed in 

 two longitudinal parallel rows ; these spines are much less strongly 

 developed in the example before mentioned, whose fore legs are less 

 strong than those of the other specimen. 



The prilpi are pale yellow, short and slender ; the radial joint is, 

 if any thing, a little shorter than the cubital, and has a very small, 

 slender, pointed apophysis at its fore extremity on the outer side ; 



