TKAP-D(X)R SPIDKKS. • 603 



tube, pushed iij) tlie li.i. an-l ai)peared with a ])ellet ot clay 

 between its fangs. It then inserted the front pair of legs behind 

 the ])ellet, and shot it out a distance of fnmi 12 to iS inches. 

 This was repeated with great stea(hness for several hour>. neither 

 light nor darkness making any marked difference to the rate 

 of work. The spider left off only when she reached the bottom 

 of the box in which the cla\ had been put. 



Feeding Time. — As they are very sluggish during the day, 

 and lively and pugnacious when interfered with at night, it would 

 seem more natural that the_\ should seek their prey in the dark- 

 ness. For observation purposes I transferred three full-sized 

 females, with their nests, to my garden. At night I have often 

 examined them hv kuitern light, and have usually found the lids 

 very slightl}' but distinctly raised. Dn drawing a straw, or 

 twig, gently past the margin of the lid the spider, on everv 

 occasion, shot out and caught hold of it. but relinciuished it 

 instantly on hnding what it was. ( >nce I placed a beetle beside 

 the lid and drew the straw past as before. The beetle wa> taken 

 indoors instantly. The same hapjiened with a large moth. On 

 no occasion have I seen any of these spiders completelv out of 

 their nests. 



Males. — I have found in all 18 adult males of this species 

 — all in lidded nests of -mall diameter. One nest was only 

 39 mm. in length and 7 mm. in diameter at the mouth. At 

 the bottom it was somewhat wider, probably to permit the 

 occupant to turn freely. In all cases these males were in nests 

 whose lids were securely fastened dowm with small plugs of 

 clay on the inside. The fany markings were \e.r\ distinct. The 

 tul>es were lined with a very thin coating of web. very different 

 from the tough thick felt of the nests of adult females. I have 

 never fotmd a male .^tasimoj)us otttside a nest, and it must only 

 be after very heavy rain that they are able to dig their wav otit. 



further ' )hser:-afi()iis. — < )n one occasion I placed three 

 females in holes bored for them in the ground. Xext day all 

 three were fotind to ha\"e hidden themsehes under a loose 

 mixture of soil and web. .Secure under this protecting cover, 

 two of the spiders comj>leTed the lining of their nests in three 

 or four da}s. One of them, in a single night after rain, began 

 aufl hnished its lid. The xeconfi had to construct her lid abotit 

 an inch below the mouth of the tube, probably becatise of the 

 looseness of the surface soil at that spot. The third spider did 

 not take the- trouble to line her tube, and was flooded otit during 

 rain. 



Oeeiirreiiee of Nests. — Nests of all sizes are very frequently 

 found in close i)roximity to each other, and rarely occur alone. 



AcANTiioDON Crl-okxt fJeieltf (V\. 28 F ruid K i. 

 (Ree. Albany Mas.. 3. iS. > 

 Loea!ify.—'Th\^ species is found in sloping c!a\bank>. on 



