' —— ■ - — 
H 
108 DRASSIDiE. 
converging towards a narrow indentation in the medial line; the falces are subconical 
and vertical; the maxillse, which are very convex at the base, have an oblique, transverse 
furrow near their extremity, and are curved towards the lip, which is longer than broad, and 
rounded at the apex; and the sternum is heart-shaped. The abdomen is of an oblong- 
oviform figure, thinly clothed with short hairs, glossy, rather convex above, and projects 
a little over the base of the cephalo-thorax. The colour of these parts is black, with the 
exception of the branchial opercula and the sexual organs, the hue of the former being deep- 
yellow, and that of the latter dark, reddish-brown. The legs are robust, provided with hairs 
and sessile spines, and of a black hue, with the exception of the metatarsi and tarsi, the 
colour of those of the first and second pairs being brownish-yellow, and that of those of the 
third and fourth pairs red-brown; the fourth pair is the longest, then the first, the third pair 
being the shortest, and each tarsus is terminated by two curved, pectinated claws. The 
palpi resemble the legs in colour; and the digital joint, which has a red-brown hue, has 
a small, curved, pectinated claw at its extremity. 
The male is smaller than the female, but it resembles her in colour. The cubital 
and radial joints of its palpi are short, and the latter, which is the stronger, projects a large, 
pointed apophysis from its extremity, on the outer side; the digital joint has a brownish- 
black hue; it is convex and hairy externally, concave within, and comprises the palpal 
organs, which are highly developed, prominent, complicated in structure, with a fine, pointed, 
slightly curved spine, originating near the middle of their outer side and directed downwards; 
these organs are of a dark, reddish-brown colour, mingled with yellowish-brown. 
This species occurs among scattered fragments of rock in the woods about Hendre 
House. It bears a strong resemblance to Brassus ater, but differs from it in size, in the 
colour of the metatarsi, and of the digital joint of the palpi of the female, and also in 
the structure and colour of the palpal organs of the male. These characteristics being 
constant, there can be no doubt of its specific distinctness. 
Drassus pumilus. PI. VI, fig. 65. 
Melanophora pumila, Koch, Die Arachn., Band vi, p. 68, tab. 197, figs. 480, 481. 
Length of the female, # 5 ths of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ^th, breadth, ^th ; 
breadth of the abdomen, ^th; length of a posterior leg, |th; length of a leg of the third 
pair, 4th s. 
The cephalo-thorax is oval, somewhat pointed before, sparingly clothed with hairs, 
convex, glossy, with slight furrows on the sides, converging towards a narrow indentation in 
the medial line; it is of a brown colour; the region of the eyes, the narrow lateral margins, 
obscure, irregular lines on the sides, and an angular spot near the middle, whose vertex 
terminates at the medial indentation, having a brownish-black hue. The eyes are disposed 
on the anterior part of the cephalo-thorax in two transverse, slightly curved rows; the 
intermediate eyes of the posterior row, which is the less curved, are near to each other, 
