TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS. 218 



that a given spider is invariably associated with a 

 fixed type of nest. 



Thus, Cannes is from fifty to sixty miles distant 

 from San Remo, but the nests of N. ccBmentaria, N. 

 Maudersfjerna, and N. Eleanor a show precisely the 

 same characteristics in either place. 



Moreover, the twelve nests referred to were not all 

 taken from one restricted locality at Bordeaux, but 

 were found presenting the same characteristics and 

 occupied by the same spider in three distinct habitats, 

 distant some miles from one another. In two nests 

 several young sj^iders were found with the mother, 

 and, in one case where the family consisted of twenty- 

 three young ones, I observed that they were not all 

 equally small, and some had nearly attained one- 

 third of their full size. 



This agreed with the fact that no very small nests 

 were observed, and it seems probable that the young 

 are not turned out of their nursery quite so early as 

 some of their relations are at Mentone. This, how- 

 ever, varies perhaps in accordance with changes of 

 climate and local conditions. 



We failed to detect any other type of nest at 

 Bordeaux than the one described above : and even 

 the cork nests, which we had shortly before seen in 

 such abundance at Montpellier, were apparently 

 absent. 



Bordeaux is by far the north- westernmost point in 

 Europe"^ at which any spider constructing a true 

 trap-door nest has as yet been discovered ; and the 

 fact that they exist in a climate so different from 



* Cork nests have however been mentioned as occurring in the neighbourhood 

 of Lyons, which lies in nearly the same parallel of latitude with Bordeaux. 



