296 Mr. A. Adams on the Habits of certain Exotic Spiders. 



in the shape of a cylinder, lined with a soft silken tissue, and 

 closed at one end by means of a strong-woven felt door. When 

 hunted it was amusing to see the frightened little creatures run 

 for protection into their tiny castles, where they would doubtless 

 be saved from the attacks of birds owing to the leaves not being 

 distinguishable from others that strew the ground. 



During an excursion I made into the interior of the island of 

 Basilan, I observed the ground in one part of the forest near 

 Passan literally overrun with a small, black, agile species o£Ly- 

 cosa, many of which had a white, flattened, globose cocoon affixed 

 to the ends of their abdomens. It was most amusing to watch 

 the earnest solicitude with which these jealous mothers protected 

 the cradles of their little ones, allowing themselves to fall into the 

 hands of the enemy rather than be robbed of the silken nests 

 that contained their helpless progeny. All spiders are gifted 

 with the same " storge," or maternal instinct, and resort to va- 

 rious methods for the purpose of securing their cocoons. The 

 Theridion, when a seizure of the precious burden is threatened, 

 tumbles together with it to the ground and remains motionless, 

 guarding it with solicitous anxiety ; and the Thomisus covers the 

 receptacle of its offspring with its body, and when robbed of it 

 wanders about disconsolate. Did the minute size of these poor 

 spiders admit of the same psychological dissertations, anecdotes as 

 interesting, no doubt, as those told of the she-bear when robbed of 

 her cubs, or the violent emotions of the lioness when disturbed 

 in her maternal duties by the hunters in the jungle, might be 

 recorded, proving how strong is the love of offspring even in 

 animals the most insignificant. 



In Borneo, as among the islands of the Philippine Archipelago, 

 spiders are also very numerous. In consideration of their appa- 

 rently helpless condition and the soft nature of their integu- 

 ments, nature, always inclined to protect the weak and helpless, 

 has given the spiders a multitude of wonderful instincts, by means 

 of which they are enabled to defend themselves from injury, pro- 

 vide themselves with food, and furnish safe retreats for their 

 tender progeny. They spin their toils of cunning device, and 

 even powerful insects, armed with formidable stings, are made 

 captives with impunity, despite their struggles to escape the 

 captor. These spiders' webs generally attract the attention of 

 travellers, and certainly, in some parts of the forests of Mindanao, 

 Borneo and Celebes, there is great and wonderful diversity in the 

 form and construction of these ingenious and delicately-woven 

 nets. Many have black webs, some have white, others brown, 

 and in Mindanao I have observed toils formed of perfectly yel- 

 low threads. The nets of the great species of Nephila which 



