ARANEIDEA. 
37 
Genus— STEA TOD A, Thor. 
40. — Steatoda nigrocincta, sp. n. 
Adult female : length 2§ lines. 
The cephalothorax is of a short-oval form : the caput is slightly constricted on the sides 
and the normal indentations are well marked, that at the junction of the caput and thoracic 
segments being very strong, giving rather a crushed appearance to this part, and with a 
transverse direction. The colour is yellow-brown, darker in the direction of the indentations, 
and in a wedge-shaped form behind the eyes, but rather lighter towards the lateral margins. 
The surface is glossy and (apparently) devoid of hairs, but covered with minute red-brown 
granulosities. 
The eyes are of moderate size, and do not differ much in this respect : they are in the 
ordinary position ; those of the hind-central pair are rather nearer together than each is to 
the hind-lateral eye on its side ; those of the front row, which is the shortest, appear to he 
divided by as nearly as possible equal intervals ; those of each lateral pair are seated a little 
obliquely, and contiguously, on a slight tubercle. The four central eyes form a square. 
The legs are moderate in length and strength; their relative length is 1, 4, 2, 3, but the 
difference between those of the first and fourth pairs is not much. They are of a rather 
orange yellow-brown colour, deepening in hue towards the extremities, and are furnished with 
hairs and bristles which spring from minute tubercular red-brown granulosities. 
The palpi are slender, and similar to the legs in colour. 
The f aloes are neither very long nor strong; they are straight, perpendicular, similar to 
the cephalothorax in colour, and granulose. 
The maxillce and labium are of normal form, and rather lighter in colour than the falces. 
The sternum is somewhat heart-shaped, broadly truncated, in a rather hollowed line, at 
hs fore-extremity, and of a pale orange-yellow colour. 
The abdomen is large, of a sliort-oval form, very convex above, and projects considerably 
°ver the base of the cephalothorax ; it is of a dull luteous-brown colour, sprinkled with white 
cretaceous spots, which are principally gathered into a longitudinal median-line and a some- 
what dentated line on each side of the upper part ; the median white line has some black spots 
an( l markings on each side of it, those on the hinder half forming a series of broken transverse 
an gular bars. There are also black markings on each side of the lateral white borders ; that 
helow each is broad, and continued quite x'ound in front, where it meets the other from the 
°Pposite side ; the upper side of the abdomen has also some other black spots and points scat- 
tered over it; the middle of the under side has a largish square area of white cretaceous 
s pots, bearing two strong parallel patches of deep red-brown on its fore part. The spinners 
ar e short, compact, and of a pale-yellowish colour. 
The male resembles the female in general characters and colours; it is, however, smaller 
an d paler, and the legs of the first pair are longer ; the palpi are like the legs in colour ; they 
are long and slender, the radial joint is double the length of the cubital, which is of a bent form, 
an< i the former is somewhat clavate, and has its extremity on the outer side broadly produced, 
“Wt in close contact with the digital joint; the digital joint is of moderate size, of oval form, 
with its fore extremity pinched in to a point ; the palpal organs are well developed and rather 
c °mplex, with some whitish prominent membrane just above their fore extremity. 
Sab. — Murree, June 11th to July 14th, 1873 ; and route from Yarkand to Bursi, May 
2 8th to Jane 17th, 1874. 
