i8 JOURNAL OF THE 



with such force as to strike against the opposite side of the 

 jar. Had it not been for this obstruction the dirt must have 

 been thrown three or four feet. 



After depositing each load on the edge of the hole the 

 spider would turn around agai'n for another load, but before 

 picking it up, she would project the posterior pair of spin- 

 nerets about 5"^-™- from the abdomen, and carefully knead 

 the viscid liquid upon and around the freshly placed 

 pellet of earth, and over the edge for a distance of 4™-™- or 5 

 m.nt.^ for the purpose of making the soil adhere and prevent its 

 caving in. In Plate I, Fig. 4, the spider is shown in 

 the act of removing a pellet of earth from her mandibles. In 

 ^ig- 5. is represented the application oi the viscid liquid. 

 The ends of the spinnerets are applied to the surface alter- 

 nately, as shown in the illustration. The legs took no part 

 in the application of the viscid liquid ; nor did the liquid 

 form a thread when the spinnerets were drawn from the sur- 

 face, as I have since seen it when the spider was crawling 

 about on the surface of the earth.' 



At 1 1:30 o'clock, when the hole was about 4™-^^- in depth, 

 to my surprise and pleasure the spider began to make the 

 ** trap-door." Standing upon its fore feet and placing the 

 spinnerets against the glass jar at the level of the edge of 

 the hole, the spider covered the glass with the viscid liquid. 

 Several pellets of earth were stuck to this, each time another 

 portion of the viscid liquid being applied. After a depth of 

 ^iii.m. j^^(-j been built up in this way, which was to answer as 

 the hinge, the spider cut a sprig of the moss and cemented it 

 to the hinge so that the end projected above it. Small sticks, 

 particles of moss and earth were constantly placed upon the 

 edge of the growing door. Each time the spider would come 

 out of the hole for new material, retreat backward, and turn 

 halfway around so as to apply it to the door. Placing the 

 load on the under side of the partial door, she would care- 

 fully move it up to the edge. Then placing the distal por- 

 tion of the palpi and anterior pair of legs above, while the 

 proximal portion of these limbs and the ends of the mandi- 

 bles were on the under side of the pellet and door, she would 



'As I am now writing, Jan. 16, 1886, 11:55, p. m., the spider is crawl- 

 ing about on the surface of a freshly prepared jar of eanh. Sometimes 

 the viscid liquid adhering to some object is drawn out in a band of silk 

 2m. m. wide, and the pieces of moss strewn on the earth are loosely matted 

 together in the path of the spider about the side of the jar. 



