TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS. 205 



sions — viz., on July 31, August 11, 15, 31 (when I 

 again found the eggs floating in a drop of liquid, 

 having been deposited on the gauze between two and 

 half-past four o'clock in the afternoon) ; September 9 

 (23 eggs laid on the earth near the entrance to the 

 nest) ; September 19 (about 30 eggs on the gauze), and 

 November 4 (about 30 eggs on the gauze). 



Thus, between July 13 and November 4, this 

 spider laid nine clusters of eggs, all but one of which 

 were placed on the same part of the gauze cover, 

 above and a little in front of the door, and the total 

 number of eggs deposited cannot have been less than 

 250. It is difficult to understand why she should 

 have laid these eggs outside the nest, unless indeed 

 she knew them to be sterile, and so treated them as 

 refuse. I can scarcely believe that such a procedure 

 is in accordance with the ordinary habits of these 

 spiders ; for, if the eggs and young are habitually 

 exposed, then the perfect concealment of the nest 

 would lose one of its most important uses. When we 

 remember that there are minute hymenopterous 

 insects which lay their eggs within the eggs of the 

 spiders, we can see how important it may be that tlie 

 entrance to a nest, which is at once nursery and 

 stronghold, should be closed by a well-fitting door, 

 and one which may exclude, not only the larger and 

 more powerful enemies of the full-grown spiders, but 

 also the tiny and almost imperceptible assailants of 

 the eggs and young. 



This Californian spider was always careful to eject 

 from the nest the remains of insects with which I 

 had supplied her, and, as she did so deliberately and 

 by day as well as by night, I had frequent opportu- 



Q 



