90 
Annals of the Transvaal Museum 
Posterior sternal sigilla elongated, rather more than two diameters apart 
and about three-fifths of a diameter distant from the sternal margin. There is 
no pit-like depression on the sides of the sternum. Besides the larger sigilla 
of normal position, there are several pairs of small ones, all situated remote 
from the margin (see fig.). These are no doubt sensory structures, essentially 
similar to the lyriform organs that occur on the legs. The same structures 
occur in the males of 5 . zebrina Purcell. 
Abdomen. Anteriorly, the upper surface carries a number of long black 
bristles and long stiff hairs backwardly directed. 
Measurements. Total length n mm., length of carapace 4-1 mm. 
The more important characters of the female are as follows: dentition of 
chelicerae resembling that of the male, the teeth being arranged in two rows, 
the larger inner row including one or two small teeth in the middle of the 
series, those more basally situated being rather widely separated from each 
other whilst the distal group includes three, four, or five teeth crowded to- 
gether (see fig.) : labium with 5-7 cusps, maxillae with 24-28 cusps: the tarsi 
of the two anterior pairs of legs are well scopulate and likewise also the meta- 
tarsi but to a less extent, the scopula of the first metatarsus stretching the 
whole length of the segment on one side at any rate: metatarsus I with two 
apical spines inferiorly and two along the outer side below : paired tarsal claws 
with an outer basal row of three well-developed teeth, the more distal one 
longest, but the inner distal row is ill-developed, being represented by three 
or four small teeth on tarsus I and by one small tooth or none at all on tarsus 
IV : patella III with a row of three (occasionally two) stout spines along the 
anterior surface: fovea procurved: apical segment of posterior spinners rather 
more than half as long as the penultimate segment. In the largest example the 
posterior sternal sigilla are about a diameter distant from the sternal margin 
and a little more than a diameter apart. The carapace and legs are pale 
olivaceous but on the mesial area of the cephalic region there are black hairs 
sparsely scattered although the cephalic portion is paler than the rest of the 
carapace: abdomen with dark oblique cross stripes on each side superiorly 
except in front where it is uniformly infuscated, but ventrally and laterally 
it is pale. Total length 21 mm., length of carapace 6-5 mm. 
This species is at once separated from any of those described by Dr Purcell 
under the generic name Hermachastes by the dentition of the chelicerae. 
Unfortunately there is no reference to this character in the description of 
5 . personatus. There can be little doubt, however, but that Simon’s species, 
the genotype of Spiroctenus, is referable to the section which includes Homo- 
stola zebrina Pure. (PI. Ill, fig. c), and the species just described. 
The Transvaal Museum has a series of adult females with young, from 
Madjabesane, fourteen miles from Komati Poort, which are perhaps identical 
with personatus. In this series we find the following characters : abdomen dark, 
mottled with pale spots ; chelicerae with two rows of teeth somewhat as in cur - 
vipes ; labium with 5—15 cusps: posterior sternal sigilla about 1-1^ diameters 
apart, or appreciably more in young specimens ; posterior spinners with apical 
segment about half as long as the middle segment; fovea procurved; patella III 
with a group of stout spines along the anterior surface ; metatarsus I with two 
spines at the apex inferiorly and in addition with one or two along the lower 
surface on its outer side. This is very near to my 5 . punctatus ( Annals Durban 
Mus. 1. p. 222) from Ngxwala Hill, N. Zululand. Recently, Mr A. Roberts has 
taken female examples apparently identical with the Madjabesane species at 
Wvldesdale, Swaziland. 
