730 MR. A. G. BUTLER ON [Dec. 2 



4. Pholcus borbonicus, Vinson. 



Plaine des Palmistes. 



Although the specimen is somewhat injured, there is no mistaking 

 this remarkable species. 



5. Meta ? sancti-benedicti, "Vinson. 



There is also a Spider (somewhat damaged) which seems allied to 

 the above, from Mauritius. 



6. Nephila labillardieri, Thorell? 



Plaine des Palmistes. 



Although it seems scarcely possible that the species of Reunion 

 can be identical with that from New Caledonia, I have failed to dis- 

 cover any difference by which to distinguish it from Dr. Thorell's 

 figures. 



7. Epeira Isabella, Vinson. 

 Plaine des Palmistes. 



8. Epeira slateri, n. sp. (Plate LVIII. figs. 1, la, 15.) 



2 . Ferruginous ; sides of the cephalothorax blackish ; a central 

 irregular longitudinal abdominal band represented by yellow spots 

 and by four blackish depressed spots in the form of a square ; falces 

 piceous ; labium and maxillae, pectoral shield, and ventral surface 

 of abdomen testaceous. 



Cephalothorax subquadrate in front, almost circular behind the 

 caput, with slightly concave posterior margin, the sutural margins 

 of the caput well defined and terminating in a depression at the 

 second third of the dorsal surface ; a central Y-shaped line upon 

 the posterior half of the caput and ending in the same depression; 

 caput hairy, convex ; central oculiferous tubercle prominent and X- 

 shaped, the anterior pair of eyes rather further apart than the pos- 

 terior pair ; lateral eyes small, and placed upon little, oblique, less 

 prominent tubercles at the anterior angle on each side ; abdomen 

 short, almost cordiform ; epigyne linguiform ; pectoral shield ovoid, 

 truncated in front ; coxae short, widening towards the culmen ; relative 

 length of legs 1, 2, 4, 3. Falces quadridentate on lower margins. 

 Length of cephalothorax and abdomen together 10 millimetres. 



Plaine des Palmistes, Re'union. 



There is a series of what I take to be a Holothyrus near H. coc- 

 cinelloides, but differing from Walckenaer's figures in the number of 

 joints in the antennae and the absence of the linguiform plate on the 

 under surface of the body. 



The following Spiders have been received this year from Mada- 

 gascar : — 



1. Drassus malagassicus, n. sp. (Plate LVIII. figs. 3,3 a, 3 b.) 



d . Mahogany-red ; the cephalothorax with a broad ill-defined 

 blackish longitudinal band on each side ; the caput and a stripe on 



