772 MB, E. I. PococK OK ETHIOPIAN SPIDERS. [June 15, 



stridulation may be easily produced artificially, the notes on the 

 coxa giving rise to a distinct ' click, click ' when scraped against 

 the spines on the maxilla, while the spines and hairs on the tro- 

 chanters produce a sound resembling that which results from the 

 rubbing of silk. 



An organ identical in all essential details with that described 

 above is to be met with in all the species known to me that 1 refer 

 to the following genera: — Hysterocrates, Phoneyusa, Monocentrojiiis, 

 Anoploscelus, Eumenoplwrus, and Encyocrates. I further venture 

 to prophesy that it will be found both in Pelinobius and Loxom})halia 

 when these genera come to be re-examined. It does not, on the 

 contrary, exist either in the species of Scodra or of Miaschutopug, 

 or of Selenogyrus ; nor in any of the S. European genera examined 

 by me {Chcctopdma, Ischnocolus), nor in those that inhabit Central 

 and South America, all of which I have above referred to the 

 Theraphosinae. 



Taking then into consideration the fact that the genera above 

 mentioned as possessing this organ inhabit the same geographical 

 area — for, so far as the Spiders are concerned, Socotra and Mada- 

 gascar are distinctly Ethiopian in their affinities, — and that, in 

 addition to the stridulating-organ, they possess other characters in 

 common : for example, the subcentral position of the posterior 

 sternal sigilla ^, tKe almost total absence of spines on the legs and 

 of teeth on the claws, the absence of tibial spurs in the male, 

 except in Monocentropus where there is a small one, — these facts 

 point strongly to the conclusion that these genera constitute a 

 perfectly natural assemblage ; an assemblage as natural, that is to 

 say, as the Harpactirinse, Selenocosmiinse, or Ornithoctoninae. I 

 propose therefore to classify them as a subfamily which may be 

 termed the Eumenophorince. In the table of subfamilies printed 

 on p. 744, this new group will take its place under the heading V 

 as follows : — 



b-. Without any stridulating organ between 

 the mandible and maxilla. 

 a^. A stridulatiug organ present between 

 the posterior surface of the maxilla and 

 the anterior surface of the coxa of the 

 1st leg, consisting of a series of strong 

 spines on the distal extremity of the 

 maxilla and on the upper side of the 

 coxa and trochanter of the 1st leg, of a 

 fringe of close-set feathery hairs below 

 and amongst which are some stout, 

 long, plumose or simple bristles consti- 

 tuting the vibratory notes of the organ. EuJiENOPHORiNj;, noT. Tro- 

 pical Africa, Socotra, 

 Madagascar. 

 h^. Without the stridulating organ above 



described TnERAPuosiNiE, 



^ Their submarginal position in the small example in the Museum referred 

 to Encyocrates and mentioned on p. 747 is, I suspect, attributable to immaturity. 



