Rainbow — Arachnida 249 



GASTERACANTHA WESTRINGI Keys. (N.I.) 



GASTERACANTHA (?) MASTOIDEA L. Koch. (L.H.I.) 



Three s]3ecimens of what is, possiljly, this species were collected. Kocli's 

 example was immature, and. sing'ularlv, so are those collected by Mr. Lea. 

 The smallest of the three from Lord Howe Island, agrees fairly well with the 

 descrijition and tip;tire, hut the larger and luore matured forms are more 

 quadrilateral, and ha\-e the ])osterinr lateral projections or tubercles much 

 more produced, and of a lighter colour. Mr. Lea's material may. of course, 

 ultimately pro\-e to be undescribed, but for the present I ])refer to let the 

 matter rest with a query. Koch's siiecimen came from \'itl Levu. 



POLTYS PENCILLATUS sp. nov. (L.H.I.) 

 (PI. xxix. fig. 57.) 



9 Cephalothorax, .S -3 mm. long, 4 mm. broad ; abdomen, from apex to 

 spinnerets. 11 'S mm., breadth. S-,^ mm. 



Cephalothorax ferruginous, hairy. Pars cephalica elongate, tapering, 

 arched, obtusely acuminate in front, clothed with long yellowish hairs, 

 thoracic groove strongly defined ; ocular area rather longer than broad : 

 chqieus narrow, deep, retreating. Pars thoracica broad, strongly arched, 

 clothed with long yellowish hairs, deeply grooved down the middle, radial 

 grooves strongly defined, dark brown ; marginal band broad. Legs long, 

 strong, tapering, femora ferruginous, pilose and armed with a few long, 

 strong spines ; patellae, tibiae, meta-tarsi and tarsi pilose, yellowish ; inner 

 angles of tibiae and meta-tarsi i and ii armed with numerous short, strung 

 spines. Relative lengths. 1. 2. 4, o. Palpi uKxlerately long, yellow, hairy, and 

 armed with a few short, fine s])ines. h^alces reddish-brown, straight, 

 arched, dbtuselv acuminate. Maxillae and labium with bases reddish- 

 vellow, apices pale vellow. Sternum reddish-yellow, flat, impressed laterally, 

 and terminating in an almost acute pnint lietween fourth pair of coxae. 

 Abdomen gibbous, massive, pubescent, slightly overhanging base of cephalo- 

 thorax ; superior surface and sides golden yellow, pencilled and spotted with 

 dark brown : anterior angle dark brown at base ; surface of posterior angle 

 uneven, impressed, and displaying a delicate scheme of tracery at lower 

 extremitv : apical extremity ridged, pencilled with dark brown ; a few small 

 tubercles are present on the apical ridge, and a few are also scattered over 

 the superior surface. Type, I. 11.^27. 



