86 TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS 



sia Siinoni, being a simple tube down to the very bottom, and 

 differing from the "cork" nests only in the structure of the door. 

 It is found at Bordeaux. 



A Neapolitan species [Ncincsia ineridionalis) adds an upward 

 tube, branching from the main tube about half-way down, and 

 rising nearly to the surface of the earth. These nests may be 

 found very abundantly in some places on the hill of Posilipo, near 

 Naples, and also in the island of Ischia. Nciuesia sit/fiisa, from 

 Montpellier, builds an exactly similar nest. 



Certain species found at JNIentone and other places on the 

 northern shores of the JNIediterranean add an inner door to their 

 nests. Thus, Ah'/nesiu Ehanora builds its nest with an em- 

 branched tube, and with a thick extra door of a circular form, but 

 straight along the hinge and with the upper side slightly concave. 

 This door is inserted somewhat above the middle of the tube, ami 

 opens inwards. It resembles cardboard in texture, and attached 

 to it are silken curtains or flaps, which cause it to close firmly, 

 while the tube is slightly widened below the door to permit of its 

 opening freely. 



In digging out a very large nest of N. Elcanora at San Remo 

 in i8So, M. L. Faulder White discovered about an inch and a 

 half or two inches below the second door a very small cavity or 

 groove (about an inch long) in the wall of the tube, separated 

 partly from it by a silken fi'ament and completely filled with the 

 husks of small red ants. At the bottom of the nest was found 

 the spider, which was unusually large, but no remains of ants 

 (such as are often found) were there. Such a storehouse or larder 

 had never previously been noticed by anyone. 



Another Mentone species, Nemesia Manderstjernce^ has a nest 

 with an upward branch, and the inner door, whose hinge is 

 attached to the point of junction, is so arranged that when open it 

 shuts up the branch ; when closed, it shuts off the whole lower 

 part of the nest. This door is oblong and channelled along its 

 outer surface, and the main tube frequently has an abrupt cavity 

 just opposite the door, so that when the latter is closed this cavity 

 looks very like the end of the tube. 



Nemesia congener, found at Hyeres, has a nest somewhat 

 resembling this last, but the inner door is more circular. The 



