Urquhakt.— - On the Spiders of New Zealand. 33 



The palpi are short and stout, yellowish-brown ; the cubital and radial 

 joints are short, the former has at its extremity, in front, a long bristle 

 directed forwards, and the latter joins in closely with the digital joint, 

 which is well developed, and somewhat globose ; the convex sides are hairy, 

 and directed towards each other ; the palpal organs are complex, and com- 

 pact, the most remarkable b5ing a strong curved process at the base. The 

 abdomen is ovate ; it has the same tints, and the specific pattern much the 

 same form, as the female. 



I have much pleasure in connecting this fine species with the name of 

 Captain Broun, M.E.S., to whom I am indebted for an interesting collec- 

 tion of spiders. Several examples were captured by him at Tairua and 

 Whangarei Harbour. I have taken it near Auckland. 



Epeira indistincta, var. n. 



This handsome variety only differs from E. brounii in colour, and as a 

 rule in the specific pattern being less distinct ; the cephalothorax and legs 

 have a rather dark amber colour, and the abdomen has a pale yellowish- 

 brown hue faintly tinged with green ; the specific marks are buff, picked 

 out with red. 



Numerous specimens. Tairua, Whangarei Harbour, T. Broun ; Karaka, 

 Auckland, A.T.U. * 



Epeira (?) attenuata, sp. n. PI. ix., fig. 1, 



Length of an adult female, 15-17 mm. 



The cephalothorax is oval, depressed above ; the lateral constrictions at 

 . the caput, which is rather convex and roundly truncate, are moderate ; 

 there is a deep transverse fovea, and the furrows at the junction of the caput 

 are well marked; it has a yellow amber hue, suffused with brown; sparingly 

 clothed with pale grey silky hairs. The profile line ascends with a slight 

 curve from the thoracic junction, running in an undulating line to the 

 ocular area, which is only moderately prominent ; projecting slightly over 

 the clypeus, whose height is more than the diameter of one of the fore- 

 central eyes. 



The area of the four intermediate eyes is nearly twice as long as broad 

 in front, this interval being rather more than the diameter of one of these 

 eyes ; the space between the hind-centrals is slightly in excess of the latter 

 interval ; the laterals are nearly contiguous, and placed on tubercles ; the 

 fore-pair are the smallest of the eight. The eyes, which are seated on 

 small black tubercular spots, when viewed from above form two transverse 

 rows ; the anterior row includes the laterals, and is slightly procurved. 



The legs are long and slender, relative length 1, 2,4, 3, the second pair 

 nearly equals the first in length ; they are like the cephalothorax in colour, 

 and are moderately furnished with dark hairs and long fine spines, 

 3 



