282 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON THE [Feb. 20, 



chocolate-brown in the central longitudinal line of the upperside, 

 where there is a pattern formed by two parallel rows of eight well- 

 defined bright cream-white spots ; the four foremost of these spots 

 are the smallest, the next two the largest and widest apart ; on the 

 sides are several stripes, or bold dashes and spots, of a similar colour ; 

 and on the almost vertical hinder part, i. e. from the conical pro- 

 minence to the spinners, is another stripe, which is dentated or slightly 

 branched on the lateral margin : the spinners are encircled by four 

 other similarly coloured spots ; and a transverse oblong one is situated 

 immediately in the front of the genital aperture ; this last is placed 

 upon a strongish deep-red-brown prominence. 



Adult and immature females of this species were found among a 

 prickly heath-like plant growing abundantly on the wastes near 

 Nazareth and Jericho. 



Theridion particeps, sp.nov. 



Male adult, length \\ line. 



This Spider belongs to a very distinct group of the genus Theridion 

 (of which group T. acuminatum (Luc.) may be taken as the type), 

 and is nearly allied to, but, 1 think, distinct from, Theridion sexalbo- 

 maculatum (Luc). 



The cephalothorax is short, broad, convex above, and rises from 

 the hinder margin quickly, but gradually, in a curved convex line to 

 the ocular region, which is thus elevated and prominent ; the clypeus 

 is hollow immediately beneath the eyes, but is of great height, and 

 slightly prominent close above the falces ; these are small and 

 weak. The colour of the cephalothorax, falces, and sternum is a deep 

 brown, that of the maxillae and labium a little lighter. The eyes do 

 not differ greatly in size ; those of the fore central pair are much 

 further from each other than each is from the fore central on its 

 side ; while those of the hinder row appeared to be equidistant from 

 each other ; the four central eyes form nearly a square, the trans- 

 verse being longer than the longitudinal diameter ; those of the 

 lateral pairs (which seemed to be the largest of the eight) are con- 

 tiguous to each other, and flattened on their contiguous sides ; the 

 hinder row of eyes is longer than the fore one. 



The legs are short, rather strong, of a yellow colour, annulated 

 with dark brown, and sparingly furnished with hairs. They do not 

 differ much in length ; those of the fourth pair are the longest, and 

 of the third pair the shortest ; those of the first and second pairs did 

 not appear to differ appreciably, and were but very little longer than 

 those of the third pair. 



The palpi are short, and (except the radial and digital joints, 

 which are deep black-brown) similar to the legs in colour ; the 

 cubital and radial joints are very short, the latter is of a peculiar 

 bent form, and spreads out at its fore extremity. The digital joints 

 are very large, and have their upper or convex sides turned to each 

 other ; they have an angular prominence on their outer sides, towards 

 their extremity, and a slightly abrupt and conically produced, bent, 

 corneous-looking point at their extremity. The palpal organs are 



