NOTES ON MILLIPEDES. 45 



Fami lv Psechridce. 



11. Pxeehrus singaporensis, Thor. 



In the Batu Caves, Selangor, in June 1898, in caverns 

 remote from daylight, Mr. A. L. Butler and myself found certain 

 spiders numerous, which make strong, untidy webs in crevices 

 of the rocks. Specimens of the spiders were sent to Mr. Pocock 

 who considers they probably belong to this species. 



Family Ctenidce, 



12. Ctenus fnngifer, Thor. 



Known from Penang. (F.O.P. Cambridge. A. -f M. N. H. 

 [vi] xx, 1897, p. 334). 



13. Ctenus floweri, Cambridge (loc. cife. supra, p. 348). 



The types of this species I got on Penang Hill in March 1896. 



Family Heteropodidce. 



14. Ifeteropoda venatorea (L.) The Hunting Spider. 



Nearly every resident in the East Indies must know this 

 line spider which runs about houses, in the evening, catching its 

 insect prey ; it makes no web. but the female spins a whitish 

 silk cocoon in which she carries about her eggs, which she looks 

 after with great care and vigorously defends from enemies. 

 What the effect of the bite of this spider on a human being would 

 be I do not know, but it is certainly not prone to bite and I 

 have never heard of its doing so, while as it is known to be very 

 useful to mankind in destroying superabundant insects, it certain- 

 ly ought to be encouraged and native servants should not be 

 allowed to carelessly or wantonly kill them. It feeds on moths, 

 crickets, etc., especially the big red cockroaches, which are such 

 a nuisance in some places in the Straits Settlements. In a house 

 individual spiders will often take up particular beats, which they 

 occupy regularly night after night ; in Bangkok one lived for 

 many months behind my dressing table. Every evening when I 

 placed a lamp on the table the spider came out from its retreat 

 and took up his position by the light : at first we rather mistrust- 

 ed each other — I being afraid the spider might some day bite me, 

 and he carefully avoiding my coming too close to him, but as the 



