5-46 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON EGYPTIAN SPIDERS. [June 20, 



rior than at its posterior extremity ; it is rather depressed, and 

 projects considerably over the base of the cephalothorax ; its colour 

 is a dull testaceous yellow covered with irregular cretaceous white 

 spots, leaving, however, near the fore half of the upperside, a tolerably 

 well-defined longitudinal central cruciform dull brownish marking ; 

 the shaft of the cross tapers to a point posteriorly, near which, gene- 

 rally, an oblique line goes off on either side; the spinners are normal ; 

 in front of the usual six is an inframammillary organ similar to that 

 of other spiders whose females, like the present, have a calamistrum 

 on the metatarsi of the fourth pair of legs ; the anus has the same 

 curious fringe as other species of this and the allied genus (Uroctea, 

 Duf.). 



The female resembles the male in general characters, but is rather 

 larger, and often has two or more indistinct brownish spots on the 

 hinder part of the abdomen ; as above mentioned, the metatarsi of 

 the fourth pair of legs has a calamistrum, or series of curved bristles, 

 concluded to be intended for carding the silk emitted from the infra- 

 mammillary organs. Mons. Eugene Simon (Les Arachnides deFrance, 

 ii. p. G) doubts the existence of these organs, and of the calamistrum, 

 in this genus, or at least significantly remarks that he has been unable 

 to discover them in any species he has examined. I do not, however, 

 feel the smallest doubt that these characters will be found in all the 

 species — both in the females, one (inframammillary organ) at least 

 in the males. The hairs on the legs of these Spiders (together with 

 those of the calamistrum), appear to be more easily rubbed off than 

 in most other Spiders ; and hence several females of this species have 

 no hairs or bristles on the legs at all. Possibly M. Simon has only 

 met with examples whose legs have accidentally been denuded of 

 their armature. Undoubtedly a female of CEcobius domesticus, Luc, 

 sent me from Tangier by M. Simon himself, has a calamistrum well 

 marked on one of the posterior legs, but no trace of any on the other. 

 The bristles forming this organ are proportionally longer and slenderer 

 than in many other spiders similarly armed. The inframammillary 

 organ, although narrow and, like that of other spiders, only just 

 elevated above the surrounding surface, is yet, I think, unmistakable 

 in both sexes of all the species known to me (ten in number). M. 

 Simon thinks that I have mistaken a mere transverse fold of the 

 skin for it ; if he will, however, examine this fold under a strong 

 magnifier, I think its mammillary nature will be sufficiently evident. 



CE.COBIUS ANNULIPES. 



(Ecobius annulijjes, Lucas, Explor. en Algerie, vol. iv. p. 102, 

 pi. ii. fig. 2. 



A single adult female of this Spider was found uuder a stone in 

 Upper Egypt. 



Gen. Uroctea, Duf. 



Uroctea limbata. 



Clotho limbata, C. Koch, Die Arachn. 



An adult male and several females were found under stones at 

 Alexandria in April 1864. 



