Blackwall — Spiders ccqjtured in the Sei/cheUcs Islands. 19 



-conical prominence at the apex of the caput in the male ; the larger 

 size, however, of the spicier, and a considerable difference in the form 

 ■of the abdomen, together with other distinctions of colours, markings, 

 and palpal structure will make the male easily distinguishable, while 

 the very remarkable development of the epigyne of the female is 

 totally unlike that of the female of JE. Syriaca. The abnormal de- 

 velopment of one side of this sexual appendage, mentioned in Hr. 

 Elackwall's note, is only apparent, being evidently caused by the 

 accidental adhesion of a small particle of resinous matter, the colour 

 of which happens to resemble nearly that of the appendage in 

 question.] 



Genus Xephila, Leach. 

 jS^ephila ixatjkata. 



!N"ephila inaurata, Wcdchenaer, Hist. Hat. des Insect. Aj?f., torn. 

 ii., p. 94. 



x^EPHiLA PLtaiiPES. Plate 2, fig. 13. 



Xephila plumipes, ^och, Die Arachn., bd. vi., p. 138, tab. 213, 

 fig. 529. JValckenaer, Sist. Nat. des Insect. Apt., tom. ii., p. 99. 



Length of the male, yV of an inch ; length of the cephalothorax, yV; 

 breadth, iV '■ breadth of the abdomen, -^ ; length of an anterior leg, -f; 

 length of a leg of the third pair, \. 



The eyes are seated on black spots on the anterior part of the 

 cephalothorax ; the four intermediate ones nearly form a square, the 

 anterior ones, which are rather wider apart than the posterior ones, 

 and are placed on a small protuberance, being the largest of the eight ; 

 the eyes of each lateral pair are seated on a tubercle, and are near to 

 each other, but not in contact. The cephalothorax is convex, glossy, 

 compressed before, rounded in front and on the sides, with a broad 

 indentation in the medial line of the posterior region ; it is of a duU- 

 yellow colour, with a brown patch on each side of the thorax. The 

 fakes are conical, vertical, armed with one or two small teeth on the 

 inner surface, and are of a dull-yellow colour. The maxillae are en- 

 larged and rounded at the extremity, and slightly inclined towards 

 the lip, which is triangular. These parts are of a brownish-yellow 

 colour, the latter having a dark-brown hue on each side of its base. 

 The sternum is heart-shaped, with small eminences on the sides, 

 opposite to the legs, and is of a dark-brown colour, a yellowish- white 

 line, which tapers to its extremity, extending along the middle. The 

 legs are long, slender, provided with hairs and some long spines, and 

 are of a brownish-yellow colour ; the first pair is the longest, then the 

 second, and the third pair is the shortest. The palpi are short, and of 

 a pale-yellow hue, that of the digital joint being brown ; the radial is 

 slightly larger than the cubital joint, and the digital joint is oval, 

 convex, and haiiy externally, concave within, comprising the palpal 



C 2 



