GoYEN. — On New Zealand Araneae. 257 



to form a rude sort of lid, which, both as to form and colour, is 

 on its exterior side so absolutely perfect an imitation of its 

 surroundings that it is impossible to discover the mouth of the 

 tube without disturbing the surface of the ground. The 

 mouth of the main tube is very conspicuous, and seems 

 designed to invite the entrance of the animals upon which its 

 fabricator preys. The spider, though strong, is yet very 

 sluggish, and in the open wholly incapable either of escaping 

 its enemies by flight or of capturing by pursuing its prey. 

 It needs some special contrivance to protect it from the 

 former, and to enable it to capture the latter, and its 

 nest seems to me to be admirably adapted for both these 

 purposes. 



When the entrance of the main tube is disturbed, the 

 spider, regarding this as the signal for the entrance of its prey 

 (beetles) or an enemy, immediately betakes itself to the branch 

 tube, and from this vantage-ground attacks its prey or its 

 enemy, as the case may be, in flank while it is passing, or in 

 rear when it has passed, the branch. In such a position its 

 advantage over an intruding animal is obviously very great ; 

 and, as I take it, very few animals capable of entering the 

 tube could be successful against an enemy so advantageously 

 posted. Should, however, the intruder prove more than a 

 match for the occupant, the latter would still enjoy a position 

 of comparative security. The intruder could not attack it 

 without turning in the nest — a matter of some difficulty. The 

 branch tube is always narrower than the main tube, and 

 therefore more difficult to enter; and, finally, the spider is 

 able to back up the branch, and, if hard pressed, to push aside 

 the loose cover, and thus effect its escape. From the be- 

 haviour of the spiders I have captured, I have no doubt 

 that this is the correct interpretation of the design of the 

 nest. The whole contrivance is most ingenious, and affords 

 another striking example among the lower animals of what 

 strongly resembles man's reasoned adaptations of means to 

 ends. 



The plate was kindly prepared for me by Mr. A. Hamilton, 

 Registrar of the Otago University. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XIX. 



Fig. 1. Marptusa marina, sp. nov. 

 Fig. 2. Arbanitis liuttonii, Camb. 

 Fig. 3. , M „ nest. 



17 



