266 ME. H. E. HOGG ON [J line 4, 



Macrothele Simon, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1891, p. 307 (ad part. 

 insignipes). 



Porrhothele Simon, Hist. Nat. d. Araign. vol. i. (1892) p. 185. 



Type, P. antipocliana Walck. 



This is evidently the New Zealand form of the genus Macrothele 

 Auss. ; but the only real difference between the two is that, whereas 

 in the latter (sec. Auss.) the tarsi are all bespined, in the corre- 

 sponding species of New Zealand they are without spines and 

 the front pair of legs is somewhat stouter than the others. 



M. Simon makes the lip in Macrothele only bespined at the apex, 

 but in comparing the type species M. calpetana Walck. with the 

 New Zealand specimens, I find no difference in this respect, the 

 lip of both being profusely bespined to nearly the base. The 

 front row of eyes in Porrhothele is straight or slightly procurved 

 according to the point of view. 



M. Simon says (loc. cit. &Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1891, p. 307) that 

 in P. antipocliana the eyes of the front row are slightly recurved. 

 He has seen the type specimen, while I have not ; but I would point 

 out that Baron Walckenaer, though he is not quite clear in his 

 original description, rather suggests the contrary l , that no speci- 

 men has been since described with the row in question recurved, 

 and the type specimen, I think a dried one, is between 60 and 

 70 years old, under which circumstances examination is difficult 

 and likely to be deceptive through shrinkage. 



Amongst some Spiders sent me by Prof. Dendy from Canterbury, 

 N.Z., unfortunately all females, there are two distinguishable 

 species of this genus, and I have little doubt that this includes all 

 therefrom. It has not so far been met with on the mainland 

 of Australia, but Mr. Urquhart has described a species from 

 Tasmania (M. aculeata, Proc. E. Soc. Tasm. 1893, p. 94), so it 

 is not unlikely that it may be found somewhere on the mainland. 



I distinguish the species as follows : — 



Front middle ■ eyes not quite their diameter apart ; 

 thoracic fovea deep and round. Cephalothorax 

 bright orange or light red, with dark median 

 stripe from eyes to fovea ; mandibles black- 

 brown P. antipocliana Walck. 



Front middle eyes their full diameter apart (at least 

 in female) ; thoracic fovea long and transversely 

 straight. Cephalothorax and mandibles rich 

 chocolate-brown P. simoni, n. sp. 



POERHOTHELE ANTIPODTANA Walck. 



Mi/gale antipocliana Walck. Hist. Nat. des Ins. Apt. vol. i. 

 (1837) p. 230. 



Mt/gale quoyi Lucas, in d'Orbigny, Diet. d'Hist. nat. vol. viii. 

 p. 503. 



Cteniza hescops White, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1849, p. 3. 



1 " Les yeux interm6diaires anterieurs .... sont sur la meme ligne que les 

 lateraux exterieurs." 



