32 JOURNAL OF THE 



as I have observed, (I have watched over thirty individuals,) 

 always be^jins at the upper end. I had several opportunities of 

 witnessing this among the young ones, and one mature one,* 

 when the spinning of the lining was done very beautifully. 

 In fig. 14 a spider is represented in the act of spinning the 

 silken lining at the upper part of the tube. When the viscid 

 fluid coming from the spinnerets cools before it is applied 

 to an object it forms a broad band or ribbon as it might be 

 called ; by elevating and depressing the body perpendicu- 

 larly as shown in fig. 14, and touching the spinnerets here 

 and tiiere to the wall of the tube this ribbon of silk is fas- 

 tened. By moving around the tube at the same time the lin- 

 ing is made complete for the perpendicular distance covered 

 by the spider in its movements. Some times instead of ele- 

 vating and depressing in the manner just described the 

 spider will move around the ^tube fastening the ribbon in 

 circles. 



Figs. 15 and 16 represent a novel way of excavating a 

 hole which I witnessed in the case of a mature spider. With 

 its legs as supporters on each side of the tube it would elevate 

 its abdomen in the air and hook its mandibles in the earth at 

 the bottom of the hole ; then revolving through a quadrant 

 about the axis at n^ fig. 15, it would bring the earth to the 

 surface and push it off with its palpi, as shown in fig. 16. 



From this study we may conclude the young of trap-door 

 spiders build their nests instinctively ; that males as well as 

 females build trap-door nests before the sexual character 

 and habits are well developed, which in the case of the males 

 make a somewhat wandering habit necessary in order to find 

 the females ; that young and old vary in making their nests 

 from the normal type, so that die position or relative sloping 

 of the door or tube could not be of any value in the classi- 

 fication ; that this species does not use its legs to aid in spin- 

 ning the lining to its tube, and that they spin the lining at the 

 upper end of the tube first ; and lastly that they vary in the 

 degree of skill manifested as artificers and the maturity of 

 instinctive power.f 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE. 



Fig; \. a, Young trjp-door spi^^ler, natural Kfze h, section of ne>t with 

 ope»i door, built in normnl way, also natural size. Fig-i. 2 and 3 curved 



*P lurris 



tAU of the observation^^ maie use of in the preparation of this aiticle 

 were made on three species. Description*? of the new species collected, 

 their nests, and food habits, I hope to have published in a subsequent article 



