1869.] Indian Arachnoidea. 233 



middle with a few pairs of dark dots, to each of which laterally a 

 transverse dark line corresponds. In young specimens there are in the 

 central region usually two single dots, one behind the other ; then follow 

 two or three pairs, the dots in each becoming gradually more distant 

 from each other ; the lateral lines are very distinct. In full grown 

 specimens the middle dots are in pairs, the posterior very distinct, and 

 the lateral stripes are also replaced by a few dots ; only the lower side 

 is uniform whitish ; the epiginium is very small and yellowish, the 

 trachean opercula large, brown and situated next to it, the spinners 

 terminal and very little prominent. 

 Length of thorax .... 3*5 m.m. ; its width posteriorly . . 25 m.m. 



abdomen, 3*8 „ „ ; in the middle 2*7 ,, „ 



one foot of the 1st pair 17 m.m. 



2nd 14.5 „ „ 



3rd 11 „ „ 



4th 14 



This species very much resembles in form and in the general character 

 of colouring the European 8c. thoracica (Blackwall's English Spiders, 

 pt. II, p. 380), which has, however, proportionately much longer feet, 

 provided with brown rings, and a somewhat different arrangement of 

 the brown marks on the thorax and on the abdomen. 



Loc. Neighbourhood of Calcutta ; on shady or dark places between 

 old foliage and in houses. A similar species also occurs in Burmah 

 and at Penang. 



Family EPEIRIDJ®. 



The spiders included in this family more agree with each other 



in their general habits, than in any particular structure of the body 



the form of which is extremely variable. The artful nets made by the 



Epeira diadema are so well known, that I only need to recall the name 



of this common European species. As a rule, the first pair of feet is the 



longest, the third always the smallest, the second and fourth are 



subequal ; but in some of the forms with the abdomen hardened above, 



or strongly coriaceous, the fourth pair is equal to, or exceptionally even 



a little longer, than the first. The eight eyes are always arranged in 



two rows : the middle four generally form a more or less regular square, 



and the lateral eyes are in pairs generally close to each other ; there 



is usually no great difference in the size of the eyes. 



30 



