18/9.] REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON NEW ARANEIDEA. 285 



abdomen. The anterior spines are directed slightly forwards ; and 

 the posterior are a little longer and stronger. 



The cephalothorax is of a deep brownish black colour ; that of the 

 legs dark brown, and the abdomen dull yellowish brown ; the spines 

 and sigilla (which are of normal number and form) red-brown. 



Hub. Sarawak. 



Gasteracantha madagascariensis. (Plate XXVI. fig. 10.) 

 G 'aster •acantha madagascariensis, Vius. Aran, des lies de la Reu- 

 nion, Maurice et Madagascar, p. 242, pi. ix. fig. 6.) 



From a careful examination of a series of examples received from 

 Madagascar, I can detect no difference in the form of the abdomen, 

 nor in the relative length, strength, or direction of the intermediate 

 spines. It is a much smaller Spider than G.formosa, Vins., and quite 

 distinct in its colours and markings. The figure (10, Plate XXVI.) 

 is from one of the examples mentioned above. There appears to be 

 considerable variety in the extent and continuity of the black mark- 

 ings on the abdomen. 



"S" 



Gasteracantha Formosa. (Plate XXVI. fig. 11.) 



Gasteracantha formosa, Vins. Araneid. des lies de la Reunion, 

 Maurice et Madagascar, p. 244, pi. ix. fig. 7. 



G. petersii, Karsch, Mouatsb. k. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1878, p. 322, 

 pi. 1 . fig. 6 : Mozambique. 



G. milvoides, Butler, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. May 1873, p. 159, 

 pi. iv. fig. 2 : South Africa. 



G. transversa ?, C. L. Koch, Die Arachn. iv. p. 14, pi. cxiii. fig. 

 259 : hab. ? 



G. varians, Cambr. MS. 1876 : Madagascar. 



G.frontata, Bl. Ann. & Mag. N. H. Dec. 1866, p. 463: S.E. 

 Africa. Xou G.frontata supra. 



I feel but little doubt that all the Spiders included under the above 

 synonyms are identical — although the difference in the relative 

 length, strength, and direction of the large lateral (or intermediate) 

 spines is not inconsiderable, and the proportional length and breadth 

 of the abdomen (exclusive of the spines) also differ. 



Out of eight examples (included under G. varians, Cambr.) re- 

 ceived from the same locality in Madagascar, no two are exactly 

 alike in the points above mentioned, though all are undoubtedly of 

 the same species ; the variations of the different examples run 

 into each other, so as to defy any attempt to characterize them as 

 distinctive of species. The typical form of G. formosa, Vins., is 

 present among these eight examples, of which I have figured three 

 of the varieties most widely separated from the typical form. In 

 fig. 1 1 the large lateral spines are not only stronger than those of the 

 typical G.formosa, but their curve and direction are exactly opposite. 

 In fig. 1 1 a the spines are straight, and project at right angles to the 

 longitudinal axis of the abdomen, one of them being much stronger 

 and of a different form from the other ; in fig. 1 1 b we have a nearer 

 approach to the typical formosa. 



