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 door, 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 Tubitelaria. 



The Order of Araneidcs (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 " Linnsean Trans- 

 actions" (published in 1874), that the Kev. 0. 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 Araneiche 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 Kev. 0. 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. 1. , 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 of shield smooth ; 



* Vol. vi M p. 187, and vol. x., p. 281. 



