The Structure and Habits of Spiders. 51 



and the spider came out and snatched it in the 

 same way, and kept it. None of the spiders 

 came entirely out of their holes, and they were 

 only a little more active than in the daytime. 



Erber, in the Island of Tinos, noticed a place 

 where several trap-door nests were near each 

 other, and spent a moonlight night watching 

 them. Soon after nine o'clock some of the 

 spiders came out, fastened back their doors, 

 and each spun a web, about six inches long and 

 an inch high, among the grass near her hole, 

 and went back into the tube. In course of 

 time beetles were caught in the webs, and 

 eaten by the spiders, and the hard parts carried 

 several feet from the nest. The next morning 

 the webs had been cleared away, and the doors 

 of the tubes closed, leaving no traces of .the 

 night's work. 



SILK TUBES AND NESTS. 



Several species of Theridion and Epeira 

 make tents near their webs, under which they 

 hang when at rest, and in which some species 

 make their cocoons, and lay their eggs. The 

 tents are usually covered outside with leaves 



