738 ME. 1'. 0. noKAiiD CAMBHiDGiii ON [June 16, 



remote from margin. Labium longer than broad, its apex studded 

 across entirely with cuspides. Coxa of pedvpalp more than twice 

 its breadth ; anterior distal angle produced ; anterior basal angle 

 studded with cuspules, more scattered and fewer towards disc. 



Leys spinoso ; fourth pair longest. Tarsi and almost the whole 

 of protarsi i. and ii. thickly scopulate; of iii. tarsus and half 

 protnrsus, of iv. distal end, of protarsus slightly, and tarsus, scopu- 

 late. Femur iv. with velvet pad on inner side. Tarsal cliiws 2 ; 

 inner claw with 7, outer with 3 denticles, of first pair of legs. 

 Spinners 4 ; posterior pair a little less in length than tibia i. 



So far as I am aware, the female of this magnificent Spider has 

 never been fully described, and the specimen taken is the first of 

 this sex which has come into the possession of the British Museum 

 of Natural History. A. geniculata is apparently not a rare Spider 

 in the Amazonian forest. One female was found by Mr. Austen 

 in a hoUovr tree at Breves, but we were unable to secure it. I 

 saw, also, more than one far down in the burrows of the Termites, 

 underground, where it was useless to attempt a capture. The 

 young ones to the number of a hundred or more crowded the 

 entrance to one of these dens, running about over a broad thin 

 sheet of webbing. The specimen described was, however, taken 

 by myself from the hollow branch of a tree which had fallen in 

 the forest near Santarem, the only one I was able to secure. 



Its presence was first detected by the slight white web spun 

 over the end of the short decayed hollow stump, while far down 

 within could be seen the pale banded legs of the spider. Fortu- 

 nately — whether it is always the case or not I cannot say — there 

 was also a bolt-hole, so that, after rattling with a stick down the 

 hollow, out burst the spider with a strange rustle and pattering 

 of its padded feet. Had it not ^been for the noise, I should 

 probably not have noticed it, for I never suspected an exit at the 

 other end. 



With gloved hand in front and large prune-jar held open behind 

 her, she stopped, but made no attempt to attack or bite at the 

 obstacle in front. But now, when pressed, with lightning speed 

 she whisked off a small cloud of fine down from the back of the 

 abdomen on the upperside with the claws of the fourth pair of 

 legs. Pressing her in front, she went backwards into the jar, and 

 at once was secured. Mr. Bates mentions the poisonous character 

 of the hairs of these great Spiders, he himself having suffered from 

 them ; and one has often observed a bare patch on the upperside 

 of the abdomen, at its apex, of many of them, whence the fine 

 pubescence has been apparently rubbed off. Putting these two 

 links together, and connecting them with the action which I 

 witnessed, I am convinced myself — though I should need far 

 more proof before I would definitely assert that such was really 

 the case — that the spider whisks oil these fine hairs in order to 

 protect itself. It is true that, though I caught upwards of 160 

 large Spiders, I never saw one, except the above, act in this way. 



