1872.] SPIDERS OF PALESTINE AND SYRIA. 325 



the general flatness of the whole Spider, and by the large size of the 

 caput, which seems to monopolize almost the whole of the cephalo- 

 thorax, so that the eyes occupy nearly the whole of its flattened 

 upper area, and the hind slope, which is very abrupt, commences 

 immediately behind the ocular area. 



This group melts away insensibly into the more typical forms of 

 the genus Attus (Sim.) ; but still in its chief representatives it is a 

 well-marked group, though not generically distinct from other groups 

 which have yet received the rank of genera from different authors. 



This Spider is of a deep rich blackish red-brown colour, the tho- 

 racic region, clypeus, and sides of the caput being the lightest and 

 clearest in their hue, and portions of the legs the darkest. It has but 

 very few hairs, the integument being strong and somewhat coriaceous ; 

 the upper area, however, of the caput is furnished with some short 

 whitish scale-like hairs. The cephalothorax and abdomen are of 

 equal length ; the latter fits over the base of the former very closely ; 

 and together they almost appear to compose an undivided animal 

 of an oblong form ; the shape of the cephalothorax is oblong, wider 

 in the middle (at the hinder row of eyes) than at the extremities ; 

 at that point it has a subangular outline, and is there as wide as its 

 whole length ; the ocular area is much broader behind than before, 

 its width before being just equal to its longitudinal diameter ; the 

 small eye on either side (forming the second row) is close to the 

 lateral of the front row, and consequently is greatly removed from 

 the eyes of the hinder row, and rather within the straight line formed 

 by each of them and the lateral (on the same side) of the front row. 

 The legs are moderately long ; those of the first pair are much the 

 longest, and have their femora, genua, and tibiae inordinately 

 strong compared with the rest ; the genua and tibiae are nearly of 

 equal length, the latter being a little the longest ; they are of a clear 

 and bright yellowish red-brown ; the legs of the second pair appeared 

 to be the shortest ; each tarsus terminates with a claw-tuft ; the 

 femora of the first pair are furnished with strong, black, spine-like 

 bristles, the most conspicuous of which form a strong longitudinal 

 fringe on the upperside, and another on the outer side ; a similar 

 fringe of less strong and conspicuous spiny bristles is also on the 

 foreside of the tibiae of the same pair, on which there are also nu- 

 merous stronger ones beneath ; while the metatarsi are furnished on 

 their undersides with a double series of short strong spines. 



The palpi are moderately long, and not very strong ; the radial 

 joint is short, and rather shorter than the cubital ; the former has 

 its outer extremity produced into a nearly straight, tolerably strong, 

 and not very long nor very sharp, pointed apophysis, the length of 

 which is not quite equal to that of the joint itself; the digital joint 

 is equal in length to the radial and cubital together, it is of oval 

 form, broadest behind ; the palpal organs are well developed but 

 simple in structure, and have a very prominent subconical corneous 

 eminence rather towards their hinder extremity ; the falces are ver- 

 tical, strong and straight, and flattened in front. 



The abdomen is of a rather flattened oval form, squared off in. 



