92 SPIDERS [CH. 



which Enock quite learnt to interpret as the " I don't 

 Avant any more " movement. 



The males made nests exactly like the females, 

 but shallower, and they left them to search for their 

 mates, leaving the ends open. On finding a female 

 nest, they " serenaded ' by tapping with their palps, 

 and after some delay, tore open the web and entered. 

 By and by the female came up and repaired the rent, 

 first pulling the edges together with her jaws and 

 then uniting them with silk from her spinnerets. In 

 one case nothing more was seen of the male for nine 

 months, when his empty skin was observed at the 

 end of the tube. After nine months of connubial 

 bliss his consort had devoured him ! 



In the autumn and spring, eggs and newly-hatched 

 young were often found in the nests. Late in March 

 a small hole, yg inch in diameter, was noticed at the 

 end of some of the webs, and presently the young 

 began to emerge never to return to the nest. They 

 immediately climbed the highest objects at hand, and 

 some were seen to be carried off by the breeze. 



Enock found, by an ingenious experiment, that 

 the sand which is incorporated in the aerial part of 

 the tube no doubt to render it inconspicuous is 

 obtained from within, and not from outside the nest. 

 Carefully covering the exposed web, he powdered 

 the ground all round it with red brick-dust, but the 

 particles which the spider embedded in the web were 



