converging towards a narrow indentation in the medial lin e : the falces are subconical
and vertical; the maxillae, 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; a n d ;tie sternum is heart-shaped. The abdomen is of ah oblong-
oviform figure, thinly clothed with short hairs, glossy, rather convex above, anti 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 thé 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 lar^e,
pointed apophysis from its extremity, on the outer side; the digital joint has a brownish-
black hue; it is convéx and hairy externally, concave within, and comprises1 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 Brasma atèr, 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; éths of an inch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, Ath, breadth, ^th ;
breadth of the abdomen, ^th; length of a posterior leg, }th; length of a leg of the third
pair, &ths.
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,
and those of the anterior row, which is-situated immediately above the frontal margin, are
the smallest and darkest of the eight. The falces are subconical and vertical; and the
maxillae, which are convex at the base, have an oblique, transverse furrow near their
extremity, and are curved towards the lip. These organs are of a yellowish-brown colour,
the falces having a tinge of red. The lip is longer than broadband rounded at the apex;
and the sternum is oval and glossy. These parts have a dark-brown hue, the lip being
rather the paler. The legs are robust, and provided with hairs and sessile spines; 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 colour of the coxae and femora is yellow,
the extremity of the latter, with the genual joint and tibia of the first and second pairs,
having a brown-black, and those of the third and fourth pairs a dark-brown hue, and the
colour of the metatarsi and tarsi of all the legs is red-brown. The palpi are short, and of a
yellow-brown colour, with the exception of the radial and digital joints, which have a brown
hue. The abdomen is oviform, somewhat depressed, and projects a little over the base of the
cephalo-thorax; it is thickly covered with hairs, those at its anterior extremity being the
longest, and is of a dull-black hue; the colour of the branchial opercula is deep-yellow,
and that of the sexual organs reddish-brown.
According to M. Koch, the male has the cephalo-thorax, falces, sternum, and the' genual
and tibial joints of the first and second pairs of legs of a black hue. The cubital and radial
joints of its palpi, which have a brownish-rust colour, are short, and the latter, which is the
stronger, has a tooth-like prolongation on its side; the palpal organs have a black hue,
and are provided with a small, brownish hook.
The Rev. O. P. Cambridge took an adult female of this small Drassus among the
sand-hills at Southport, in June, 1859.
Drassus clavator. PI. VI, fig. 66.
Drassus clavator, Cambridge, Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., third series, vol. v,
p. 171.
Length of the male, ,th of an inch ; length of the cephalo-thorax, |th, breadth, *>th ;
breadth of the abdomen, ^th ; length of a posterior leg, jgths ; length of a leg of the third
pair, ?th.
The eyes, which are nearly equal in size and pellucid, are disposed on the anterior part
of the cephalo-thorax in two curved, concentric, transverse rows, whose convexity is directed
backwards ; the four intermediate eyes form a square, the two posterior ones, which are oval
and very near to each other, being rather the largest of the eight, and each lateral eye of the
posterior row is seated on a small tubercle. The cephalo-thorax is oval, convex, glossy,
thinly clothed with hairs, and marked on the sides with slight furrows converging towards a
narrow indentation in the medial line ; it is of a pale, yellowish-brown colour, veined with