4ilG MR. J. BLACKWALL ON SOME TUSCAN SPIDERS. 



form of a crescent, whose convexity is directed forwards ; they are 

 ))lack, with the exception of the intcrincdiiite ones of the anterior 

 row, which have a red-brown hue, and are encircled with white ; the 

 lateral eyes of both rows are seated on a strong tubercle, but are not 

 in contact, and the anterior ones are the largest of the eight. The 

 cephalothorax is broad, moderately convex, glossy, slightly com- 

 pressed before, truncated in front, and rounded on the sides, which 

 are marked with slight furrows converging towards the middle j it has 

 some black bristles on each side of the frontal margin, and a series of 

 very minute, close-set, black points on each narrow, red-brown, 

 lateral margin ; it is of a dull brownish-yellow colour, the medial line 

 being much the palest; a broad, brown band extends from each 

 lateral eye of the posterior row nearly to its base, and there is an oval 

 spot of the same hue behind each intermediate eye of the same row; 

 the front is of a brown-red colour, and a white line passes transversely 

 between the intermediate eyes of both rows to the tubercles on which 

 the lateral eyes are seated. The.falces are cuneiform and vertical; 

 the maxillaj are convex at the base, obliquely rounded at the extre- 

 mity, on the outer side, and inclined towards the lip, which is some- 

 what oval ; the legs are provided witli short hairs, and the first and 

 second pairs, which are much longer and more robust than the third 

 and fourth pairs, have a series of strong black spines on each side of 

 the metatarsi and the anterior half of the tibia;, on their inferior sur- 

 face ; the first pair surpasses the second in length, and the third pair 

 is the shortest ; each tarsus is terminated by two curved claws, 

 pectinated at their base ; the palpi are short, and have a curved, 

 dentated claw at their extremity. These parts, with the sternum, 

 which is heart-shaped, are of a pale dull yellowish colour, the first 

 and second pairs of legs, the falces, maxilla;, and lip having a tinge 

 of brown. The abdomen is oviform, somewhat depressed, broader at 

 the posterior than at the anterior extremity, corrugated longitudinally 

 on the sides, and projects over the base of the cephalothorax ; it is 

 of a yellow-white colour, with a bro>\'nish-red band on each side of 

 the medial line comprising a series of slightly depressed, brownish 

 s))ots, which, with a single one in the medial line of the anterior ex- 

 tremity, form a long, narrow angle ; these bands unite at their extre- 

 mities and describe an elongated oval ; the upper part of the sides has 

 a brownish-red hue, that of the sexual organs, which are moderately 

 developed, being brighter red. The colours of some individuals are 

 darker than those of others, and the design formed by their distribution 

 is less clearly defined ; the under part of the abdomen also is some- 

 times marked with a longitudinal band in the middle and another on 

 each side of a pale brownish-red hue. 



Thomisus exiguus, n. sp. PI. XVI. fig. 8. 



Length of an immature female i^ in. ; length of the cephalothorax ^V> 



