Arachnida. 7963 



are disproportionately large compared to the size of the spider, 

 the two middle ones of the hinder row being the largest. Palpal 

 organs prominent and complex, with a black filiform spine 

 curved from the outer side round their base to the inner side. 

 Adult male, 1-sixteenth of an inch. Length of cephalothorax, 

 ] -twenty-fourth. Breadth, 1-thirty-second. Relative length of 

 legs, 1, 4, 2, 3. 



Cephalothorax small, slight, compressed laterally, but elevated in 

 front, and with a broad shallow indentation in the medial line. 

 Colour red-brown, which is also that of the whole spider. 



Eyes very unequal in size, in two transverse curved rows, the two 

 centre ones of the hinder row the largest, and the two centre 

 ones of the front row the smallest and darkest of the eight. They 

 form three groups. The two side groups consist each of three 

 almost contiguous large eyes, in the shape of an equilateral tri- 

 angle. Between these groups are the two centre eyes of the 

 front row, which are very minute and almost contiguous. The 

 extreme dissimilarity in size between these two eyes and the rest, 

 and their position, is a striking characteristic of the species, and 

 would almost warrant its separation from the genus Theridion. 



Legs robust and provided with hairs. Their relative length is 1, 4, 

 2, 3. The tarsi end with three claws. 



Palpi. Radial joint stronger than the cubital, and slightly produced 

 at the extremity on the outer side. Digital joint roundish oval 

 and hairy outside. Palpal organs highly developed and complex 

 in structure, with a black filiform spine curved from their outer 

 side round the base to the inner side. 



Falces small, conical and vertical. 



Maxillae obliquely truncated at the ends on the outer sides, and 



much inclined towards the labium, which is semicircular. 

 Sternum broad, flat and heart-shaped. 



Abdomen considerably elevated towards, and projecting slightly 

 over, the base of the cephalothorax. The upper side is, however, 

 flattish. It is broader behind than in front, and is thinly clothed 

 with hairs. The upper half, from a little below the highest 

 point to the spinners, appears, when looked at from below or in 

 profile, like a shield or case laid over the abdomen, with the edge 

 projecting all round, like the eaves of a house. This is a remark- 

 able feature in the spider, and will probably prove very character- 

 istic of the adult male. The colour of the abdomen is slightly 

 darker than the rest of the spider, the upper part being the 



