TRAP -DOOR SPIDERS. 189 



silk." This spider " is nocturnal in liis habits," and 

 maybe seen "just before sunset keeping watch within 

 the mouth of his tunnel, disappearing suddenly when 

 he hears a heavy foot-tread near bis hiding place," 



This nest would therefore appear to have an open 

 tube undefended by any door ; but in this case the 

 great size of the spider and the depth of the burrow, 

 which is more than twice as lonsf as that of the 

 average European nests, may help to explain this 

 apparent want of precaution. 



But, if we wish to learn with what different mate- 

 rials and hj what varied means the same end of self- 

 preservation can be attained, we have only to cast a 

 glance at the sketch of a portion of a nest at fig. B, 

 Plate XIII., p. 183, where it will be seen that the 

 entrance to the nest, far from being concealed or 

 obscured in any way, is rendered a most striking 

 object, and one which appears devised for the very 

 purpose of attracting attention. The nest to whicli I 

 refer is the work of Cjjriauchenius elongatus, from Mo- 

 rocco, and consists, according to the account given me 

 by its discoverer, M. Simon, of a deep cylindrical 

 burrow in the soil, the silk, lining of which is prolonged 

 upwards for about three inches above the surface of 

 the ground, and enlarged into a funnel shape, so that 

 it becomes from two to three inches across at the 

 orifice. This aerial portion being snow-white, at once 

 attracts the eye even from a considerable distance, and 

 the nests rising up amid the sparse grasses and other 

 small plants which serve to support but not to conceal 

 them, present the appearance of scattered white fungi. 



This is therefore quite a new type among the nests 

 constructed by trap-door spiders, new in form and 



p 



