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ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. ^7 



moss around and over it. I have watched four diFfcrent 

 ones make the nest, two beginning in moss which I had 

 placed over the earth, and two beginning in soil. Two of 

 these I had make a nest several times, and thus' far every 

 one has first entirely closed the entrance to the tube by 

 building a sort of dome above it. Later, in one case a 

 week, cutting through this and making the folding door.' 

 Usually while a.t work near tlie surface of the earth it will 

 burrow out in different directions and elevate the surface of 

 the earth. This I think is partly for the purpose of provid- 

 ing a place to put the earth which it excavates from the 

 lower portion of the tube as I have seen these filled up; and 

 in one specimen, after the tube was about 2 cm. deep I ob- 

 served the same habit of digging and cementing to the edge 

 of the tube, as observed in the case of P</chf/fo)ncru.'i cinih/- 

 voriiH and ^.-f^pinosus. This individual made the dome by 

 carrying up three sides regularly until it had completely 

 covered the entrance. Usually in making the dome earth is 

 placed on and about the i^d^g^:! of the tube, occasionally ap- 

 plying viscid liquid and spinning threads over it. Then the 

 spider would, with its anterior legs and palpi pull the edge 

 over the tube. This operation would l^e repeatetl until tlie 

 dome was complete," When moss is convenient the door is 

 made almost entirely of moss and silk ; each door is a sur- 

 face of a half circle, is hung by a semicircular liinge, and the 

 two meet, when closed, in a straight line over the middle of 

 the hole, as shown in fig. 18, Plate IV. Every night (I ob- 



' Note — In the Encyclopedia Briitanic.-i, 9'h edition, 1875, Vol. II, 

 p. "I'M, O. P. Cambridge says: '* Tlu^ present wriier wns once told ])y a 

 gentleman wlio had lo meily lesifh^-d in the ^^■'(!8t Indies that trap-door 

 spid( rs invariably ma le tlu; tube; and lid ol"ouo continuoiH, solid, homo- 

 geneous piece, and tlit^n cut out tlie lid wit'n the fVilci rs. Th's acf',ount, 

 e>ip(^ci:diy as coming from a non NMtni-alist setans impi()bal)le,a spider's 

 faI(HMS being in no way titled a,p uentiy for such an oixsratiou " Where 

 tlie silk lining was thin, it would be a V' ly easy matter for a spider to cut 

 through, and then repair the r)nghness by cemcnnng on particles. It is 

 pr»)t ably iiu exagg! ration t<» say that they " invariably" construct them 

 ui that nianiur, ' ut 1 should not be surpri.-ed it s-onic species made the 

 trap-door in the manner de-criticd by this non " naturalist." 



•I have never seen this sj^idcv p.e-s the lid on tlui i n i of its mandi- 

 bles as do."s /'. cnr<th>ri>r>is. I think this slitiws th;! adaptjition of the 

 spf^. iai a,]-iiifitnr'' <»1' the inandbile of /'. r/trahir'^rns, and related forms, 

 for fastening the eattli to Ihe lid. /'. riirah.v 'ms usuaby makes no 

 thrcMd in applying the viscid rnjuid to the <!oor u Idle adding particCs, 

 but ptit' it on as a i'mnid. 'i'he large point of the; mandibles, which is 

 covere I with shoit strong spines serves a!mirably to pun<di the e irth 

 irregularly int^) the portion of the door already made, and causing it 

 to adhere firndy. 



