88 
Annals of the Transvaal Museum 
the posterior half there is however distinct indication of thin dark cross stripes. 
Sternum and lower surfaces of appendages pale reddish brown : abdomen pale 
inferiorly. 
Measurements. Total length 22, length of carapace 8, breadth of carapace 
6-15, length of metatarsus I 5, of metatarsus IV 6-35. 
The more important characters of the female are as follows: the inner 
series of teeth on the fang groove includes about fifteen large or moderate 
sized teeth forming a long but somewhat irregular row : the outer group includes 
numerous minute teeth in four or five rows, the whole group extending less 
than half-way along the main series: labium with about thirty -five cusps: 
patella III with one or two very short but stout spine’s on the anterior surface: 
fovea procurved. 
The palps and legs are pale brown, becoming dark on the distal segments : 
the carapace is castaneous, the chelicerae blackish brown. The abdomen is 
infuscated superiorly, and has numerous small indistinct pale spots : ventrally 
it is pale. 
Total length 27, length of carapace 10, breadth of carapace 7, length of 
fourth metatarsus 6. 
I am indebted to Dr Rattray for the following information on the nests of 
this species. The lids of the female nests are of the same remarkable type as 
that described by Mr F. Cruden for Bessia minor (S. African Journ. of Science , 
1916, p. 606, PI. 28, figs, g, h and T). The hinge of attachment is very long and 
curved : there is also a well-developed hinge down the middle of the lid as if it 
had been made in two distinct halves which were afterwards united together. 
When the lid is wide open, its two halves are in the same plane: when closed 
down, they form an angle of about 120° with each other. The two halves of 
the lid are not weighted in any way, thus differing from that of minor. Claw 
and fang marks are not localised in any one spot on the lower surface. The 
tubular retreat is deep, passing downwards for a distance of about six or seven 
inches, the lower portion being free of web and lodged amongst the entangled 
roots of adjacent shrubs. Each nest may have two lids, as in minor, but more 
frequently has only one. The male was found in a lidless tubular retreat. 
Spiroctenus curvipes sp. nov. (text fig. 8 a-c, PI. Ill, figs, d and e). 
This species is founded on one adult male and a series of female examples 
collected at Klipspruit, Utrecht dist., by Mr J. Breyer. It is most probably 
nearly related to S. personatus Simon, from Delagoa Bay ( Actes Soc. Lin. 
Bordeaux, xlii. 1888), the description of which is too incomplete for specific 
recognition: however, judging from Simon’s reference to the colouration of the 
abdomen and to the characters of the metatarsus and tibia of the first leg in 
that species, it seems likely that the two are distinct. 
The characters of the male are as follows : 
Colour. Anterior portion and sides of carapace pale with a reddish tinge, 
hinder portion dark. Legs dark, almost black, except the coxae of the first 
two pairs which are reddish yellow. Inferiorly, the sternum and all the coxae 
are reddish yellow. Abdomen dark above with somewhat indistinct darker 
cross stripes broken in the middle; inferiorly pale. 
Legs. The surfaces are rather thickly clothed with long hairs or bristles. 
Tarsus IV not scopulate. Metatarsus I rather strongly curved, with two spines 
at the apex inferiorly, three on the inner surface the largest and stoutest of 
which is situated at the bend and is itself strongly curved, also three or four 
