392 IlEV. 0. p. CAMBEIDGE ON CEYLON SPIDEB,3. 



are rather shorter, but stronger and more prominent at their base 

 in front. The abdomen is much deeper (from the upper- to the 

 underside) and projects backwards a little over the spinners ; the 

 sides and upper part are more densely covered with silvery spots, 

 which fit closely together, and are, in fact, separated only by di- 

 viding lines. The space between the black spots is itself nearly 

 black, but is somewhat obscured on the hinder portion by silvery 

 spots : the black spots on either side on this portion are also 

 dilated and become roughly and obliquely linear, forming an 

 approach to broken chevrons : on the underside the abdomen is 

 of a brownish black, with a largish somewhat obtusely angular 

 (in some individuals nearly semicircular) marking, formed by 

 closely united, small, silvery spots ; in some specimens there is a 

 longitudinal bar of the same on either side of the angular mark- 

 ing, and from these bars on either side a short spur runs off' in- 

 wardly towards the sexual organs, which are small, inconspicuous, 

 and of a red-brown colour. 



Prom this description it will be seen that there is some little 

 diversity in the prevalence and exact arrangement of the silvery 

 markings in the two sexes of this species, as well as in different 

 individuals of the same sex ; but their general character is pre- 

 served. The curved corneous projection at the base of the digital 

 joint, as also the short tooth-like spine in front of the falces in the 

 male, besides the relative lengths of the diiferent joints of the 

 palpi and the form of the abdomen, serve to distinguish it at a 

 glance from T. decorata (Bl.). 



Eight specimens (six ? and 2 c?) were contained in Mr. Niet- 

 ner's Ceylon collection. 



Tetragnatha argentata, n. sp. PL XIII. figs. 76 to 82. 

 cJ adult, length 2 lines ; ? adult, 3 to 3 J lines. 



The form and markings of the abdomen, as well as the greater 

 relative length of the legs of the first pair, will at once distinguish 

 this species from the last {T. culta) to which it is nearly allied, 

 though of larger size. The cephalothorax, maxilla), labium, and 

 sternum offer no distinctive peculiarities in form, though the two 

 latter are more suffused with brown than in T. culta ; the eyes 

 are similar in position, and the falces are perhaps a little shorter 

 and proportionally stronger ; the legs are also stronger and more 

 conspicuously furnished with spines; the palpi are a little 

 shorter, th^ digital joint and palpal organs not quite so large ; 



