240 Transactions. 



of silk between the door and rim, in order to keep out an intruder 

 <(ng. 10, «, near letter D). Sometimes they do this whilst hibernating-. 

 If the tube pierces the bank in a downward direction, in order to protect 

 its abdomen while still holding the lid it would be obliged to hinge the 

 door on the bottom side of the open. Consequently the lid would be 

 continually falling open with its own weight. Hence the tube pierces 

 the bank in an upward direction (fig. 14). 



Habitat. 



This spider is seldom found many miles from the sea-coast. The 

 spiders prefer a sheltered bank, never, as far as I know, burrowing into 

 the ground, as .some other trapdoor species. 



Spiders of the same species from different localities often show curious 

 differences in habits and manner of building their nests. This is taken 

 into account when I say that the results may be slightly dissimilar if 

 spiders from provinces other than Auckland or Wellington are studied. 



I have been disappointed to find that .1/. distinctus is free from 

 parasitic Acarina. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XV. 



Fig. 1. M. distinctus, female ; x 2. 



Fig. 2. „ male : X 2. 



Fig. 3. Tarsus of female, front leg, showing bristles. 



Fig. 4. Terminus, female palpus. 



Fig. 5. Male palpus, side view. 



Fig. 0. Eyes. 



Fig. 7. a, young spider's door, and so on to e, the adult door, from above. 



Fig. 8. Female leaping on back of fly (see fig. 10). 



Fig. !). Side view of sections of nests, showing different devices for keeping the door 



from opening too far. 

 Fig. 10. Female watching a fly, which is unaware of its danger. (Fig. 8 shows what 



happened a second later.) 

 Fig. 10. a, at D, strands of silk woven to keep the door closed ; O shows position of 



egg bag (see fig. 14, top), b, at arrow, film of silk woven over young spiders. 



c, M shows partition often woven by moribund spi er. 

 Fig. 11. Female holding door against intruder (profile). 

 Fig. 12. Same from above, showing position of legs, &c. 

 Fig. !.'3. Nests built under a stone. Both have two doors, one at each end. 

 fig. 1 !. Top nest with egg-case; middle nest which has been denudated, after which 



the spider has bored in farther ; lowest a nest built near surface on account 



of hardness of earth. (Fig. 14 also shows a bank in which the nests are in 



their natural position.) 



Fig. S, '.), 10, 11, and 12 do not, of course, show true position of tube ; they should be 

 as in fig. 14; but if drawings are turned around, the proper effect is obtained. 



