562 REV. O. P. CAMBRIDGE ON EGYPTIAN SPIDERS. [JuilC 20, 



above markings, there are four pale transverse wavy lines, which 

 cross the whole of the upperside of the abdomen, the two foremost, 

 however, being interrupted by the longitudinal black marking ; the 

 sides of the abdomen are marked, but not regularly, with blackish 

 brown spots and small markings, some of them assuming an oblicjue 

 direction ; but none of the lateral markings extend far down towards 

 the underside, which is (as are also the sternum, maxillae, and labium) 

 of a plain yellowish hue devoid of markings. The long spinners of 

 the superior pair are dull yellow faintly marked or annulated with 

 yellowish brown, or sometimes with brownish black. 



The description given by Walckenaer and Lucas from Savigny (I 

 am unfortunately unable to give it from Savigny's work itself) is : — 

 " Roux ; le corselet marque de deux bandes dorsales brunes, et horde 

 de taches de la meme couleur. Abdomen varie sur le milieu de deux 

 rangees contigues de taches cannelees brunes, et sur les cotes, de traits 

 brans obliques." 



The quickness of the movements of this spider, which, until dis- 

 turbed, lies motionless, with its legs flat and extended in all directions 

 over and round the trunks of the trees, is astonishing, and rendered its 

 capture, at first, very difficult ; after a little practice, however, I ob- 

 tained it more easily by dexterously flicking it off the tree with a 

 twig into an entomological net held underneath. 



This was the first Spider that I had seen in Egypt ; and it was thus 

 invested with a peculiar interest, being also so unlike any thing 

 European that I had before met with. 



Neither sex appears as yet to have been found in the adult state ; 

 and in fact I saw, and captured, only females, and all those immature. 

 Walckenaer does not state whether the example (also a female) 

 described by Savigny was adult or immature. 



It does not appear to have been before noted that the subdivision 

 of the metatarsi (on which the separation of Hersilia from Hersilidia 

 is chiefly based) only occurs in respect to the legs of the first, second, 

 and fourth pairs, the short third pair having the usual number of 

 joints, with an undivided metatarsus. It is singular that M. Lucas, 

 who has gone so minutely into the structure of the legs of Hersilia, 

 should not have noticed this point. 



Gen. Hersilidia, Sim. 

 Hersilidia ltjcasii, sp. n. (Plate LVIII. fig. 5.) 



Adult male, length 1\ lines. 



The whole of the fore part of this Spider, whose general form 

 closely resembles other species of the genus, is of a pale yellow 

 colour, the cephalothorax, palpi, and legs being covered with a fine 

 grey pubescence ; the cephalothorax has a dusky brown margin; and 

 an indistinct line of the same hue runs backwards from each eye of 

 the hind central pair, meeting and terminating at the normal inden- 

 tation which marks the union of the caput and thorax ; the hinder 

 slope has also a central longitudinal brown line. 



The eyes are in (he usual position ; the four central ones form a 



