76 



crowded together, so that a few cubic inches of clay will con- 

 tain several nests. 



The male, which unfortunately became dried, was in a 

 nest like the females. 



The largest nest taken is 6 cm. in total depth, straight, 

 and densely lined. The aperture, which has a lumen of 

 8 mm., is closed by a stout, circular door with an attachment 

 of one-fourth its circumference to the tube. The door is flat 

 on the under-surface and roughly heaped up on the outer- 

 surface. The total width of door 15 mm. wide, 11 mm. from 

 hinge to front. In one nest twenty young were found with 

 the female, but in none were egg-cases found. Another nest 

 contained the complete cocoon of a leaf-cutting hymenopter. 



Apart from its small size, the characteristics of this 

 species are the dense spiny armature of the anterior two pairs 

 of ambulatory legs and the palpi. 



Types 1 (male) and 2 (female) in Australian Museum, 

 Sydney; 2 (female), co-type in South Australian Museum, 

 Adelaide. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XII. 



Aganippe rainbowi, n. sp. 



Fig. 1. Female, dorsal view. 



, ; 2. Female, ventral view. 



,, 3. Male, palpus, lateral vie-w. 



,, 4. Nest, closed. 



,, 5. Nest, open. 



