TRAP- DOOR SPIDERS. 241 



and then, to our great surprise, was suddenly opened 

 again, and the beetle was cast alive and unharmed 

 out of the nest. I immediately secured the insect, 

 which proved to be the common C/nysome/a Banlsii * 



I cannot doubt that this beetle was distasteful in 

 some way to the spider, for it was neither so large nor 

 so powerful as many beetles the remains of which I 

 have found in the spiders' nests, and, besides, it did 

 not escape from the nest, but was distinctly rejected 

 by its captor. 



This shows that this spider does not know instinc- 

 tively what insects to reject and what to take. 



This little episode was scarcely ended when I 

 espied a wood-louse {Oiiiscus) walking down the bank, 

 not far from another of these wafer nests. By a little 

 guidance I managed so to turn its course that this 

 unsuspicious crustacean went straight to the very 

 point I wished, and made as if it would walk over the 

 spider's door ; but no sooner was it well within reach 

 than, quick as thought, the spider clutched it and 

 dragged it in. No rejection followed on this capture, 

 and, though 1 could not actually witness the conclu- 

 sion of this adventure, I do not doubt that it ended 

 in a tragedy and a supper. V />J)^tH ^ Xza><m^ 



In these two cases, as in all those previously noted, 

 the spiders did not leave the nest nor allow the door 

 to close behind them, but kept it propped up on the 

 abdomen and hindmost pair of legs. In this way the 

 act of seizing their prey, and that of withdrawing 

 into the nest, were almost simultaneous. 



In no case did we see any of these spiders out of 



* I am indebted to Mr. F. Smith for the name. 



