1888.] 



NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 



205 



These tubes are found attached to the trunks of trees, alons: which 

 they extend upwards for various distancesjaccording to their size; 

 the size being evidently determined by the age of the occupant. 

 The young spiders have very small tubes. Tlie adults occupy la^e 

 tubes. The nests are fastened to the bark of the trees at several 

 points l)y white threads. They are often open at the top, that is, 

 there is no designed closure like a lid or door ; but for the most part 

 - >;^» the top edge of the tube drops in 



or folds over, making an accident- 

 al closure. Beneath the surface of 

 the ground the tubes extend into 

 the sandy soil around the root 

 of the tree for various distances, 

 sometimes equalling the length 

 above the surface, and in one or 

 two cases even exceeding it. 



The spider seems to have no 

 preference for any special tree 

 against which to spin its tubes. 

 The palmetto was frequently 

 chosen, and I counted as many 

 as thirteen tubes, great and small, 

 long and short, extending around 

 a large portion of the base of one 





Fig. 2. Purseweb Spider's Nest with under- 

 surface part exposed by removing the sand 



neighborhooi 



■Vi/^-, 





palmetto trunk. Some of these may have been the nests of a 

 brood the individuals of which had estal)lished themselves in close 

 Very frequentl}' these tubes were found attached 

 to small trees or bushes. AVhen 

 the trunks of the saplings have a 

 slanting position, as occasionally 

 happens by reason of external pres- 

 sure of some kind, the tube gener- 

 ally drops straight down to the 

 ground, forming an angle with the 

 point of attachment instead of hug- 

 |j^{ ; A. g^ r ,.' -H,/ ging the bark of the plant. Most 

 |ife"(l-|v 'l\^% i- ^PS^ of the tubes which I followed be- 

 W^im^jL^^^^]^^'yc^s&'^'^ neath the sui-face terminated in a 

 #^^i^^i£igg^g|g.^^^^|»sS:-' point or had a club-shaped termi- 



W 



point or had a club-shaped 

 nus; but in one case at least the 

 tube broadened out into an irregu- 

 lar chamber with two short branches constructed like the main stem. 



Fig. 3. Colony of Purseweb spider's nest 

 on a palmetto tree. 



