TRAP-DOOB. SPIDERS. 185 



Edward Newman* in 1856, since wliieli time ('^ith 

 the exception of M. Simon's paper qnoted above) 

 little or nothing seems to have been done to clear up 

 the points which remain doubtful in the history of 

 these sinsrular creatures. 



Several nests of Afi/pus were discovered by Mr, 

 Joshua Brown in the neig-hbourhood of HastiiiGTS, 

 when traversing a lane bounded on either side by 

 high and steep sand-banks, partially covered with 

 grass and bushes, 



Plis attention was at first arrested by the sight of 

 " something hanging down which looked like the 

 cocoon of some moth ;" but, on closer examination, 

 the silk case proved to be empty, and was continued 

 as a tube into the ground to a depth of 9 inches, 

 where he came upon the spider lying at the bottom. 

 Further research revealed the existence of a numbrr 

 of these nests in the same locality, but the length of 

 the different tubes varied much ; they were usually 

 about 9 inches long, but some were much longer, 

 often baffiing his attempts to follow them ; the longest 

 which he was able to secure entire measured 11 inches. 

 All the nests w^ere, however, alike in having a tubular 

 silk lining, about f of an inch in diameter, a part of 

 which protruded from the ground for about 2 inches, 

 and was pendent, inflated, and covered with particles 

 of sand, assimilating it to the surrounding surface ; it 

 was closed at the upper extremity, leaving no exit to 

 the open air, 



Mr. Brown took home some of these tubes in a 



* Note on Atyptis Sulzeri of Latreille, by Mr. Edward Newman, read beTore 

 tbe Linnean Society ; a report of this conimunicatioa is given in The Zoologist, 

 vol. xiv. (1856j, p. 5021. 



