212 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1888. 



solution. The mode of constructing the tube as observed by Mr. 

 Enock is substantially that which I have above described as prac- 

 ticed by our Purseweb Atypus. After the completion of her tube 

 Piceus was seen' to take a load of sand between its falces, every grain 

 of which it deftly guided with its fi\ngs, literally pushing the grains 

 through the side of the tube. Having exhausted its supply it 

 reversed its position, returned to the bottom, and repeated the action 

 of gathering and distributing the sand. At the end of an hour and 

 a half it had completely covered the silken tube with sand, every 

 grain of which it had brought up from the surface of the ground, 

 thrust it through the silken tube from the inside, and afterwards, as 

 the occasion required, smoothed over the rent Avith newly extruded 

 silk. The next morning a small quantity of sand had been forced 

 out at the top of the tube, showing that the industrious creature had 

 continued its labor during the night; and this, indeed, was pro- 

 longed during the greater part of the day. The following night it 

 had lengthened the aerial portion of the tube and covered it with 

 sand.^ We may perhaps, conclude from these facts that the spider 

 had apparently simply endeavored to save itself the labor of carry- 

 ing sand to the top of its tube, by pushing it through the rent sides, 

 a method which would be naturally suggested by its custom of 

 opening the tube to take in its prey. 



Mr. Moggridge attributed this sanding of the exterior to a pro- 

 tective purpose, and alludes to the fact that while tubes of Atypus 

 piceus found on sandy banks were covered with sand, a nest takeji 

 at Troyes, France, in a mossy site, had moss and plant fibres woven 

 upon it.' But as the spider in such environment would be compelled 

 to clear away particles of moss, root fibres etc., in extending the 

 nest over the surface and through the close standing stems, there 

 appears to be no reason why it might not treat this chippage pre- 

 cisely as it did the sand in Mr. Enock's examples. No doubt these 

 spiders, as well as our Purseweb, while in the act of deporting the 

 sand excavated from beneath, frequently leave grains attached to 

 the inside of the tube. Indeed, it would be difficult to prevent this, 

 as ,the sand readily entangles with the silken fibres; but as such a 

 rough coating would be unpleasant to the creature in its frequent 

 passing to and fro, it would overspin all these inside droppings. 

 Indeed, in this very fact we may see a sufficient reason for the 



' The Life-History of Atypus piceus, page 397. 



2 Harvesting Ants and Trap-Door Spider. Supplement. ]). 188. 



