Annals of the Transvaal Museum 
65 
completely devoid of lateral setae or spinules throughout its course. In the 
upper jaw the two distal teeth are large, the third of moderate size, the fourth 
largest: besides, there are two rows of three each. In the lower jaw are two 
large teeth and one intermediate tooth of moderate size. 
Flagellum. In side view the flagellum is more or less torpedo shaped and 
has no stalk. The membrane forms a closed cup in the basal third, but in the 
distal two-thirds the lateral margins of the membrane are merely infolded 
a little thus leaving a long broad opening on the mesial side of the capsule. 
There are no prickles or setae on this membrane, although the distal edges 
are slightly frayed and to a slight extent also the infolded edges proximally. 
There is a broad brown or yellow thickened rib running along the membrane 
on the side next to the jaw: this is quite sharply defined distally, and its 
bluntly pointed apex projects a little beyond the distal margin of the mem- 
brane: towards the basal portion of the flagellum it gradually broadens out 
and is not very sharply differentiated from the thin colourless membrane. 
Modified hairs of second abdominal sternite. There is a cluster of three 
contiguous pink fleshy hairs on each side. 
Measurements. Total length 11, length of flagellum -6, of tibia of palp 4-5. 
I have examined a series of forty adult males of B. unguicornis Purcell, 
collected at Alicedale by Mr F. Cruden, and find that in each case the modified 
hairs of the second abdominal sternite comprise two pairs, as described in the 
type of that species. An examination of a retracted flagellum in dorsal view 
shows that the amount of free membrane dorsal to the rib is very much greater 
in unguicornis than in laticosta. Female specimens which are no doubt referable 
to this species were taken at N’jelele River by Dr Breyer and Mr G. van Dam 
(24 and 25. vii. 1916). They agree closely with the male in the dentition of 
the chelicerae : the colour characters are somewhat similar, the distal segments 
of the palp being infuscated, whilst the general colouration of the appendages 
and head plate is pale brown, without a reddish tinge. Total length 13-5. 
Blossia laminicornis sp. nov. (text fig. 2 a-c). 
The type of this species is a single adult male specimen collected at De Aar 
by Mr S. C. Cronwright-Schreiner. 
The species is closely related to B. namaquensis Purcell (. Annals S. African 
Mus. 11. p. 212), taken at Steinkopf, but seems to differ therefrom in the 
dentition of chelicerae and in shape of flagellum. 
Dentition. In the upper jaw, the third tooth is of moderate size, being only 
a little smaller than the first and second teeth. The largest tooth of the single 
series is the fourth. In the basal portion of the fang, there is an outer row of 
three rather small teeth, and an inner row comprising two larger teeth and one 
small one, the latter, which is at the base of the series, being closely adjacent 
to one of the large ones. In the lower jaw the intermediate tooth is of moderate 
size. 
Flagellum. This is a delicate membrane rotatably attached at its base to 
the inner mesial surface of the jaw. It is widest about the middle of its length, 
where its margins are strongly infolded on the side away from the jaw: towards 
the base, these infolded margins meet so that the basal part of the lamina 
forms a cup: distally, the membrane gradually narrows into its elongated 
apex. A thick yellow longitudinal rib runs the whole length of the organ, 
being slender and sharply defined distally, but broader and less clearly dis- 
tinguishable from the adjacent membrane basally. The mesial portion of the 
5—2 
