234 Indian Arachnoidea. [No. 4, 



The last review of the genera of the Epeirid^:, or Orbitel^, was 

 given by Count Eug. Keyserling in 1865, (Verhandlungen der Zool. Bot. 

 Gesellsch., Wien, vol. xv, p. 799 etc.). The author characterized eleven 

 genera which he considered as sufficient for the classification of our then 

 existing materials of the family, but several of the tropical forms will 

 probably have to form generic additions. I possess from India several 

 such species, which I hope to compare more carefully as soon as our 

 means of reference to the literature on the Arachnoidea are a little more 

 completed. The late Doleschall already added several genera from the 

 Indian Archipelago, and the examination of the North German, Swedish 

 and Russian spiders are rapidly increasing the number. 



Argiopes may be considered only as a section, or a subgenus of 

 Epeira, because the most important points of the organisation are in 

 both almost identical. It is impossible to fix a proper limit between 

 the elongated form of the cephalothorax of Epeira and the rounded one 

 of Argyopes, unless we would agree to separate what is called Epeira by 

 Keyserling in at least 4 or 5 other genera, and even that number would 

 hardly be sufficient. There is one character in which most of the species 

 classed under Argyopes agree, that is, the lateral eyes are contiguous 

 and the anterior of them are very small ; but there are again among the 

 true Epeirce similar and even greater variations in the position of the 

 eyes to be met with. Further, most of the Argiopes have the tarsi, 

 especially those of the front feet longer than the tibia?, but cases of 

 this also occur among other Epeira. Some of Koch's generic divi- 

 sions should also be retained only as subgenera of Epeira. 



I shall here give descriptions of a few species belonging to the follow- 

 ing genera : Epeira, (subg. Argyopes), Nepliila, Tetragnatha, Meta and 

 Gastracantha. In collecting various Epeirid^e I was particularly struck 

 with the very great scarcity of male specimens ; for among about 200 

 specimens belonging to about 30 species there were not more than 5 or 

 6 males. 



Epeira (Argyopes) stellata, Stol Pi. XVIII, Fig. 6. 



? Cephalothorax suboval, truncate in front, posteriorly slightly 

 emarginated ; the ocular or cephalic portion is half as wide as the thoracic 

 which is somewhat tumid, and separated from the former by oblique con- 

 verging grooves nearly reaching to the centre. The sides of the thoracic 

 portion are slightly curved, the upper surface is laterally convex and 



