170 Transactions.— Zoology. 
there are at least two distinct divisions or families of trap-door spiders 
inhabiting Europe, (the one with a bung-like or cork-door lid fitted into 
its nest, and the other with a wafer or flapdoor lid to fall down over its 
entrance; some of these last-mentioned having also a second door of thick 
web fitted on a kind of hinge within the tube), I greatly wished to know, if 
possible, under which division this one should be classed ; but down to the 
present have learned nothing more respecting the lid, or Pa though Mr. 
Drummond has zealously sought after it. Moreover, there is yet another 
closely-related family (or division) of spiders, living in holes and cracks, 
which, while they also spin a web within, do not make any door to their 
nests or holes: these are called T'ubitelariz. 
The Order of Araneide (or True Spiders) is an immense one; it is 
largely represented here in New Zealand, and is daily increasing in books : 
from everywhere. I have noticed in vol. xxx. of the ‘ Linnean Trans- 
actions” (published in 1874), that the Rev. O. P. Cambridge has given a 
corrected and enlarged list of the number of British spiders alone, con- 
taining 78 genera and 457 species, while the number of the foreign ones is 
legion! This extensive Order has been from time to time subdivided into 
families and genera, which have been often altered, insomuch that it. re- 
quires an expert—and a highly-skilled one too—to pronounce certainly on 
any species. Therefore I have concluded not to attempt to fix on any 
known genus of Araneide as being that to which this spider (and another I 
Shall also this evening bring before you) properly belongs, for I have not 
that special knowledge requisite, neither have we here the modern scientific 
works on spiders which would assist us in our search. This, however, will 
not prove to be a very formidable hindrance to our shortly knowing some- 
thing more definite about these two spiders, for I intend sending specimens 
by an early mail to England, to the Rev. O. P. Cambridge (one of our 
greatest modern British araneologists) for his judgment and determination. 
This gentleman has already described some of our large New Zealand 
spiders in the Trans. N.Z. Inst. and among them is also a trap-door 
spider from Otago, sent him thence by Professor Hutton and Mr. Gillies; 
but that species is a different one from our two contained in this paper, 
although it may be not distantly and naturally allied to them. From the 
disposition of the eyes of these two spiders, I doubt their belonging to the 
same genus as the trap-door spider from Otago described by him. 
No. , Spider from Te Ongaonga. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Adult female, length 10 lines, exclusive of falces. 
Cephalothorax broad-oval, truncate at each end, posterior extremity 
much the broader, finely and velvety hairy; upper part t of shield smooth; 3 
* Vol. vi., p. 187, and vol. x., p. 281. 
