248 Indian Araclmoidea. [No. 4, 



Gastracantha (Isacantha) Canningensis, Stol. 



PL XVIII., Fig. 1. 

 $ Cephalothorax quadrangular, nearly twice as broad as long ; 

 above in the middle, at the anterior and posterior edges, and at the 

 anterior corners somewhat prominent ; upper surface covered with 

 small hairs ; uniform brown. 



The anterior central eyes are situated in front on the median projec- 

 tion of the thorax, the posterior ones are somewhat higher, and very 

 little more distant from each other, than are the former among them- 

 selves. The lateral eyes are placed together on each of the lateral pro- 

 jections ; the anterior ones are much the largest of all, and the posterior 

 ones so small as to be hardly conspicuous. The falces are short, very 

 thick, inflated, vertical, with strong articulated claws, fitting into a 

 groove with finely serrated edges ; both are brown, the claws blackish. 

 The lip is minute, semicircular, slightly angular at the tip ; the maxilla? 

 much larger, thick, roundish, bent outwards ; the palpi are rather 

 short, inserted at the upper external bases of the former, both are light 

 brown. The sternum is subtrigonal, somewhat elongated, truncate 

 in front and pointed behind. The feet of the fourth pair are the 

 longest, about equal to the total length of the body, those of the first 

 pair are somewhat shorter, the second again shorter, and the third the 

 smallest. All the coxse are very short and thick, the femora broadly 

 flattened with rather sharpened anterior edges. The general colour of 

 the feet is brown, the coxa? and the thickened ends of the joints being 

 blackish, and covered with short hairs. The claws of the tarsi are very 

 small and black. 



The abdomen is above coriaceous, hardened, anteriorly with a 

 convex margin, and a very small central notch ; on each side are two 

 thick protuberances, inflated and turned upwards, and terminally 

 provided with very small dark spines, the anterior of which is slightly 

 smaller than the posterior ; the posterior margin is entire, slightly 

 rounded, and higher than the anal end which terminates with two 

 thick diverging almost horizontal processes, each also supplied with a 

 small spine. The whole surface ispunctured and covered with very short 

 hairs : along the anterior margin there are eight black oval impressions ; 

 one, the largest, is situated between each of the lateral processes, 

 and nine are along the posterior margin, the first of them beginning on 



