TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS. 115 



Observations of this kind are difficult to make satis- 

 factoril}^ at least in the case of the trap-door spiders 

 with which I am acquainted, and which appear to be 

 nocturnal in their habits. I have certainly never 

 seen them out of their nests in the daytime, and but 

 rarely detected one of them {Nemesia ccementarid) even 

 venturing to peer out of her door set ajar for the 

 purpose.* 



The following very singular account is given by 

 M. Erberf of the habits of Cteniza ariana, which he 

 watched in the island of Tinos. I quote from the 

 abstract given in the Zoological Record cited below : — 

 " At night these spiders come out of their nests, 

 fasten the open trap-door to neighbouring objects, 

 and spin a net, about six inches long by scarcely half 

 an inch in height. In the morning the nets were 

 removed, and Erber believes that the net of each 

 night is added to the trap-door. He found eggs at 

 the bottom of the tubes, attached singly to threads, to 

 the number of about sixty. The young seem to form 

 dwellings very early." 



It would be very interesting to know whether 

 these nocturnal habits are also found in our spiders 

 on the Kiviera. 



* M. Olivier, however, states (Encyclopedic Methodique, torn xviii., 

 p. 228, Art. Araign^es Mineuses, Paris, 1811) that he has twice found nests 

 in the islands off Hyeres and on the promontory of St. Tropez the doors of 

 which were set open in the daytime and the tube emi^ty, this seeming to 

 imply that the spiders were out hunting and were diurnal in their habits. 

 He did not see the spiders, but from his description the nest was of the cork 



type Here is an interesting point, and one which those naturalists 



who make Hyferes the held of their observations should endeavour to throw 

 further light upon. 



t In Verhandlungen der k. k. zool. hot. Gesellschaft in Wien, vol. xviii. 

 pp. 905, 906, quoted in Zodoyicul Record, vol. v. p. 173 (18G8); see also 

 Appendix B. 



I 2 



