TRAPDOOR SPIDERS. 119 



moving at the moutli of a tiny hole [just large enough 

 to admit a crowquill pen] in the mass of earth on the 

 opposite side of the fern to that in which the large 

 trap- door lay. 



The lamp-liglit fell full upon it, and I soon saw that 

 the moving object was a very small spider, not bigger 

 than that drawn at B 2 in Plate IX., which was at work 

 in the moutbof its tube. Whetherlhad,in removing: this 

 mass of earth, destroyed the door I cannot say, but it 

 is certain that the opening of the tube was completely 

 uncovered, and it soon became apparent that the little 

 spider was intent upon remedjnng this deficiency. 

 A.fter a few threads had been spun from side to side of 

 the tube I watched the spider make one or two hasty 

 sorties, apparently spinning all the while, and finally I 

 saw her gather up an armful, as it were, of earth and lay 

 this on the web. After this the occupant of the tube 

 was concealed, but I could see from the movement of 

 the particles of earth that tliey were being consolidated, 

 and that the weaving of the under surface of the door 

 was being completed. Next morning I was able to 

 lift up the door, which had the form of a small cup of 

 silk, in which the earth lay. It was then soft and 

 pliant, but in ten days time it had hardened and 

 become a very fair specimen of a minute cork door (see 

 figs. A 1, A 2, of Plate XL). 



On one occasion a captive Nemesia ineridionalis 

 emploj^ed some pieces of scarlet braid which I had 

 purposely strewed, along with bits of moss and frag- 

 ments of leaves, in a circle round the opening of, and 

 about two inches away from, the hole. 



It is probable that these spiders have in times past 

 learned by experience that they cannot do better than 



