TRAP- DOOR SPIDERS. 203 



It is curious to find that, far as California is removed 

 from the Eiviera, the same habits of construction and 

 self-defence are common to the spiders of both coun- 

 tries, and that the bond of kinship sets time and space 

 at defiance. 



I kept this spider all through the summer and early 

 autumn at Eichmond (Surrey), sprinkling the nest 

 from time to time with water, and constantly sup- 

 plying its inhabitant with flies, woodlice, grasshop- 

 pers, earwigs, and other similar dainties. She did not, 

 however, seem eager for food, and the insects pro- 

 vided for her, and actually placed within the nest, were 

 often turned out again almost untouched. 



When I placed living insects, such as grasshoppers, 

 for example, within the nest over-night, she would 

 often allow them to remain there unharmed, so that 

 I found them ready to escape on opening the door 

 the folio win o; morning^. 



I never saw her leave the nest of her own free 

 will, and when I made her come out and set her to 

 run in the garden, she began at once to seek for a 

 place to hide in, hobbling along in an ungainly way 

 and at a slow pace. 



She must, however, have left the nest on more 

 than one occasion, unseen by me, for she deposited 

 several clusters of eggs at various times upon the 

 under-surface of the gauze net which was fastened over 

 the mouth of the box in wdiich she was imprisoned. 



The first of these groups of eggs was laid during 

 the night between the 12th and 13th of July, and 

 formed a raspberry-shaped cluster attached to the gauze. 



T have represented this cluster of the natural size 

 at fig. B, G, and magnified at fig. B, 7, on Plate XV., 



