244 Indian Arachnoidea. [No. 4, 



Length of one of the 2nd pair of feet, 10 in. in. 



3rd 6.8 „„ 



~- 4th 10 



It is difficult to place this species in either of the genera Nephila or 

 Epeira, being intermediate between both, and showing that the distinc- 

 tion of the two genera is by no means so strict as would be desirable ; 

 it has the proportionate length, ofthe feet of an Epeira and the long 

 falces of a Nephila ; to the last genus it, however, shews in other re- 

 spects a greater relation than to the former. 



Loc. Found in shady places between hedges and framework about 

 Calcutta, chiefly in gardens. I first obtained this very interesting 

 form through my friend, Mr. H. Bennertz, who procured a large 

 number of specimens, all of which were females and mostly full grown. 

 It builds a large snare, and lives to a certain extent social, but it does 

 not grow to a large size. - 



META, Koch. 



The species of this genus are in external appearance perfectly simi- 

 lar to those of Tetragnatha, the principal distinction of Meta being the 

 position of each of the two lateral eyes on a common tubercle. To the 

 species quoted by Keyserling (Zool. bot. Gresellsch., Wien, 1868, XV, 

 p. 830) as belonging to this genus I shall add presently one to all ap- 

 pearance new species, from the neighbourhood of Calcutta. 



Meta gracilis, Stol Pi. XIX, Fig. 2. 



9 Cephalothorax elongated, scarcely half as long as the greatest 

 width at the middle ; ocular portion narrow, elevated above and 

 shorter than the thoracic portion, from which it is separated by con- 

 verging grooves ; the thoracic part is slightly convex, impressed 

 in the centre, with convex sloping sides and very little curved 

 margins. 



The eyes are placed near the anterior end of the cephalothorax ; of 

 the middle pairs the two anterior eyes are smaller and closer together, 

 than the posterior. Each two lateral eyes are nearly contiguous, 

 situated on small prominences, the posteriors being a little larger and 

 more distant from each other than are the anteriors. The distance 



