ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 17 



1885, Mr. Meriitt, of Pittsboro, N. C, brought to Chapel 

 Hill, two trap-door spiders with their nests, and placed them 

 in the care of Prof Holmes, for the University of North Car- 

 olina. The nests with their occupants were placed in the 

 ground for the summer. On Nov. 12, after a careful search 

 Prof Holmes was able to find only one, and this one with 

 difficulty, as for some reason it had dug through the lower 

 end of the tube and was hidden in the earth. Later I shall 

 offer what seems to me may be an explanation of this. On 

 the morning of the same day, the spider with its trap-door 

 nest was placed in my keeping, which was the first intima- 

 tion I had of the presence of such an agreeable neighbor. 



At 4:3c, p. m., I placed 'dj4 inches of earth in a glass jar 

 5 inches in diameter and 7 inches deep. Two thirds of the 

 surface of the soil was then covered with moss. In this the 

 spider was placed, and the jar and its contents taken to my 

 room, that I might, if possible, observe the operation of dig- 

 ging the tube and making the trap-door. 



The results were most gratifying. Just before going to 

 supper, at dusk, I observed that the spider had not under- 

 taken the work. Upon returning at 8:30, p. m., I found the 

 task undertaken. The spider was resting m a hole about 

 2o"i.ni. deep by 22"^-™- in diameter, which she had excavated at 

 iOne side of the jar. I placed the jar upon my study tabic, 

 just beneath the light of a student lamp, so that while read- 

 ing I could observe any movements made by my companion. 

 The spider was resting in the hole with its legs partially 

 folded, the anterior ones lying upon the edge of the exca- 

 vation 



After I had been quiet for some time the spider began to 

 move cautiously, and turning about slowly, went head first 

 into the hole, and dug from the bottom with her mandibles a 

 pellet of earth about the size of a small pea. Then turning 

 carefully around she placed it at the edge of the hole where 

 she pushed it off with aid of her palpi, at the same time 

 working her mandibles up and down. At first the spider 

 seemed timid, and would cease operations upon the slightest 

 movement on the part of myself During the course of the 

 evening three other persons who came to my room had the 

 fortune to witness the operation of digging out the earth. 

 The spider soon became bold, paid no attention to move- 

 ments in the room, and permitted me to watch her very 

 closely. Occasionally, by using both palpi at once, the 

 dirt was flirted suddenly from the grasp of the mandibles 



