1872.] SPIDERS OF PALESTINE AND SYRIA. 217 



palpal organs, which consist of a single basal bulb prolonged into a 

 longish beak tapering to a fine sharp point which is slightly bent. 



Maxillae long and strong, greatly curved over the labium, which 

 they completely encircle. Labium rather long, narrowest just below 

 the middle, and blunt-pointed at the apex. 



Abdomen larger than the cephalothorax, oval, and convex above ; 

 it is of a velvety-black colour, with two very conspicuous white 

 markings in the central longitudinal line of the upperside ; the 

 foremost of these markings is the largest, and is of an oval form, 

 pointed before, and broad and rounded behind ; the hinder one is of 

 a somewhat rounder form, and is situated just above the anus. These 

 markings are formed by white hairs. 



The female differs considerably from the male in the colour and 

 markings of the abdomen, which is of a browner hue and furnished 

 thickly with yellowish-grey and whitish hairs, some of which latter 

 colour are disposed in spots and lines forming a somewhat regular 

 pattern, a portion of which consists of some transverse angular bars, 

 or chevrons, on the hinder part. 



This very distinct and conspicuous, though small, species was not 

 rare beneath stones on the plains of the Jordau near ancient Jericho. 

 The males were active when disturbed, but the females quite sluggish. 

 I did not observe any webs or snares ; but these may have been de- 

 stroyed in the lifting up of the stones. It is very nearly allied to a 

 Spanish species {Filistata nana, Sim.) lately described by M. Eugene 

 Simon (Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1868) ; but though resembling it in 

 general form and size, it differs in the pattern on the abdomen (which 

 in F. nana is similar in both sexes), and also in the palpal organs of 

 the male, the bulb being smaller, the prolongation from it tapering 

 more gradually, and the whole longer than in the species above de- 

 scribed. The habitat also appears to differ; according to M. Simon 

 F. nana is found in the fissures and crevices of rocks. 



Filistata hirstjta, sp. nov. 



Female immature, length 1| lines. 



This species, of which but a single example was met with, is allied 

 to F. attalica (Koch) ; it may, however, be at once distinguished by 

 its rougher appearance, and the greater proportional length of its 

 legs, especially of those of the first pair. 



The cephalothorax is yellow, narrowly margined with black, 

 and with a longitudinal central band of dusky black running from 

 the margin of the clypeus, including the eyes, back to the hinder 

 margin, where it tapers to a point ; the sides are also marked with 

 converging brownish-black lines ; and the whole is clothed with 

 coarsish adpressed hairs of a yellowish-grey colour. The eyes ap- 

 peared to be normal in their relative size and position. The legs are 

 yellowish, somewhat obscurely suffused with brown, and furnished 

 with rather coarse brownish-yellow hairs, those on tiie femora being 

 numerous, curved, and spinous in their character ; they have none 

 of the black maculae which I have observed in all the examples of 

 F. attalica that have come under my notice ; their relative length 



