1899.] AND SPIDERS FROM TROPICAL AVEST AFRICA. 883 



black stripe, which on the sides of the abdomen breaks np into 

 a fan-hke arrangement of narrow black longitudinal stripes ex- 

 tending as far as the spinners ; spinuers black ; the lower surface 

 of abdomen testaceous yellow. 



Structurally allied to P. nigriceps, but the ocular quadrangle 

 wider as compared with its length ; legs distinctly shorter, the 1st 

 less than four times as long as the carapace ; length of carapace 

 much greater than that of tibia of 1st leg and distinctly greater 

 than patella and tibia of 4th ; tibiae and protarsi of 1st and 2ud 

 legs distinctly spined below; abdomen about one third longer than 

 wide, a long oval, not noticeably wider behind the middle. 



Measurements in millimeires. — Total length 21 ; length of carapace 

 7, of abdomen 14-5, width of abdomen 9-5 ; length of 1st leg 2-5, 

 of 2nd 2,5, of 3rd 16, of 4th 17. 



Loc. Benito River {G. L. Bates). 



The previously described African species of this genus are : — 

 P. lieraldicus, Karsch, Zeits. ges. Naturwiss. li. p. 315, pi. viii. 

 fig. 4(1878); Simon, Hist. Nat. Araignees, i. p. 1016, fig. 1U77 

 (1895). From Zanzibar and Lake Tanganyika. 

 [I have seen no specimens of this species, but it certainly differs 

 from all those enumerated in the table below in having the upper- 

 side of the abdomen black with yellow spots, instead of yellow 

 M-ith black spots.] 



P. sex-mamlatus, Simon, in Donaldson Smith's ' Through Un- 

 known African Countries,' p. 388 (1897). From Somaliland. 

 P. pantherimis, Poc, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (7) ii. p. 445, 

 pi. siii. fig. 7 (1898). From Nyasalaud. 



The four Tropical African species of this handsome genns, 

 represented in the British Museum by the typical examples, may 

 be distinguished as follows : — 



a. Carapace, mandibles, labium, maxillte, and sternum 



jet-black ; lower side of abdomen with a pair of 

 broad black narrowly separated bands, which unite 

 posteriorly nigriceps, sp. n. 



b. Carapace principally yellow or red, margined or 



spotted with black, and black in the ocular region; 

 mandibles, maxilla?, labium, and sternum princi- 

 pally or wholly yellow ; abdomen without black 

 bands on the middle of its ventral surface. 

 «'. Carapace red or yellow, with a black margin and 

 transverse black frontal stripe ; mandibles ex- 

 ternally black ; black abdominal spots large. 

 a?-. Femora of Ist and 2nd legs deep blackish green ; 

 the black margin of carapace extending right 

 round beneath the clypeus but not joining the 

 ocular stripe ; sides of abdomen ornamented 

 with nari-ow branching stripes arranged longi- 

 tudinally ; no black rings round the spinners 



below...' " insignis, sp. n. 



i'^. Femora of 1st and 2nd legs clear yellow; black 

 margin on carapace not extending on to face. 



