464 



MB. H. K. HOGG ON AUSTRALASIAN SPIDERS. [Dec. 2-, 



Genus Eodelena, nov. 



This genus I have formed for two specimens, one a fully 

 developed male, the other not adult, sent to the British Museum 

 by Prof. Baldwin Spencer, of Melbourne, in 1888. They were 

 collected on King's Island, Bass's Straits, and, but for their smaller 

 size, in general appearance are scarcely distinguishable from Delena 

 cancerides Walck. On looking at the male palp, however, it is 

 seen that what should be a flagellum of ten spirals makes less 

 than one whole turn round the end of the conductor, which is 

 merely flattened and curls round far enough to be the shape of a 

 hook. As the palp does not develop by degrees, but comes out 

 fully formed after casting the skin at the last raoult, this must 

 either be a reversion to an ancient form or a remanet. The fact 

 that the palpal development is so similar through difierent genera 

 indicates that it is an older development than that of the form. of 

 cephalothorax &c. ; and as the flattened forms must almost of a 

 certainty succeed the unflattened, it is more likely to be a reversion 

 to the original type than to have remained on without alteration. 

 However, if such were thought likely, the hills (now islands in 

 Bass's Straits) would be a not unlikely place for the ancestors to 

 remain. It is in any case an interesting instance of the repro- 

 duction of a missing link, and indicates the line along which the 

 specialization has taken place. 



Type, Eodelena spenceri. 



Eodelena spenceri, nov. sp. (Text-fig. 104.) 



This species differs in nowise in coloration and shape from 

 Delena cancerides, but has the important difference detailed above, 

 and the tibial apophysis of male palp is single instead of double. 



In the front row of eyes the laterals are nearer to the medians 

 than in that species, being once and a half the distance between 

 the latter. 



Measurements in millimetres. 



Long. 

 Cephalothorax ... 6| 



Abdomen 6^ 



Mandibles 3 



Coxae. 



Legs 1. 21 



2. 21 



3. 2 



4. 21 

 Palpi 1 



Male. 

 Broad. 

 6| 



Tr. & fern. 



8 

 10 



7 

 8 



21 



Pat. & 

 tib. 



101 



13 



7 

 8 

 U 



Metat. 

 & tars. 



9i 



12 



7 

 8 



2 



301 

 371 

 23 



261 



