1883.] 



NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 



131 



June 19, 

 The Rev. H. C. McCook, Vice-President, in the chair. 

 Twenty-nine persons present. 

 The death of J. B. Gassies, a correspondent, was announced. 



Note 071 the Intelligence of the American Turret Spider. — The 

 Rev. Dr. H. C. McCook exhibited nests of Tarentala arenicola 

 Scudder, a species of ground-spider, of the family Lycosidje, 

 popularly known as the Turret Spider. These nests, in natural 

 site, are surmounted by structures which quite closely' resemble 

 miniature old-fashioned chirane3's, composed of mud and crossed 



Nest of Turret Spider, lined with cotton. 



sticks, a« seen in the log cabins of pioneer settlers. From half 

 an inch to one inch of the tube projects above ground, while it 

 extends straight downwards twelve or more inches into the earth. 

 The projecting portion or turret is in the form of a pentagon, 

 more or less regular, and is built up of bits of grass, stalks of straw, 

 small twigs, etc., laid across each other at the corners. The upper 

 and projecting parts have a thin lining of silk. Taking its position 

 just inside the watch-tower, the spider leaps out and captures such 

 insects as may come in its way. The speaker has found nests of 

 the species at the base of the Allegheny Mountains near Altoona, 

 and in New Jersey on the seashore. In the latter location the 

 animal had availed itself of the building material at hand, by 



