ARANEIDEA. 
47 
The abdomen is broad in front, where it is slightly prominent (though scarcely gihbose) 
at the fore-corners, and the middle of the fore-margin is also blunt-angularly prominent ; 
the upper side has almost its whole area enclosed by two longitudinal brown lines (edged out- 
wardly with white), which run from the fore-corners obliquely backwards, and converge to- 
wards each other to the spinners ; the first half of these lines is sub-angular. Along the 
length of the area thus enclosed, a large, but not very clearly defined, somewhat cruciform 
or dagger-shaped, whitish marking runs with its sharp point backwards, and is bisected longi* 
tudinally by a dull, pale-brownish line, from which several oblique lines branch off on each 
side. The rest of the area is dull brown, deepening to reddish brown at the hinder extremity ; 
the sides are dull brown, mottled thickly with small white spots ; the under side is also brown 
margined with a distinct line of white spots, which does not, however, enclose the fore 
extremity, as each end of the line terminates close behind the spiracular opening ; a little way 
from the spinners, on each side, there are two white spots in a longitudinal line, llie pro- 
cess connected with the genital aperture is prominent, and of characteristic form : it consists 
of two portions — the basal, which is short, broad, dark blackish-brown, and corneous ; and a 
rather long, twisted pale epigyne, directed backwards : only a figure, however, can give any 
correct idea of the form and structure of this process. 
Hob. — Yarkand, May 21st to 27th, 1874. 
59. — Epeira p^ntjlata, sp. n. 
Adult female : length 2f lines. 
This spider is allied to Epeira cornuta, Clerck, but is much smaller, and (in the only 
example examined at least) wants the characteristic pattern on the abdomen. 
The whole nearly of the fore part is of a dull-yellow colour ; the normal indentations of 
the cephalothorax are suffused with dusky-brown, and from each of the hind-lateral eyes a 
brownish-black line runs backwards towards the occiput ; and there are two strong, spine- 
tike, curved bristles directed forwards from behind each lateral pair of eyes. 
The eyes are small ; those of the hind-central pair are the largest, and are separated 
from each other by no more than half a diameter’s interval, if so much ; and the line formed 
by them is distinctly shorter than that formed by the fore-central pair, and constitutes the 
binder and shortest side of the square formed by the fore- and hind-central eyes , the eyes of 
each lateral pair are widely removed, by an interval of at least double the length of the line 
formed by the hind-central eyes. The clypeus is less in height than half that of the facial 
s pace. 
The legs are rather short, but tolerably strong ; their relative length is 1, 2, 4, 3, and 
they are furnished with hairs, bristles, and short, not very strong spines, each of which 
springs from a small blackish tubercle. 
The palpi are moderately long and strong, and are furnished, chiefly towards their inner 
sides, with numerous bristles, and long, slender, curved spines. 
The falces are moderately long, strong, perpendicular, and rounded in piofile. 
The maxiUce and labium arc of normal form, and, except their extremities, which are 
Pale, are of a yellow-brown colour. 
The abdomen is of a broad-oval form, not excessively convex above, its upper surface 
being parallel to its under side, and its hinder part, as well as each side of its fore extremity, 
