igoS] Araneae Theraphosae of California 233 



bits of moss or grass on the outside. Burrows found in dry 

 exposed banks, from September until the first rains in December, 

 had the traps plastered down firmly with soil. A few along 

 flowing streams in the shaded redwood ravines were not so closed, 

 tho in a roadside bank, only a few rods up the canon side, all the 

 nests were plastered up. At the bottom of a nest, so closed, was 

 always a spider, in more or less dormant condition. Doors sealed 

 up in this way are harder to see, as a rule, than when normally 

 fastened at the hinge only. Many of the burrows were found by 

 mere accident, as it were, in digging promiscuously, or following 

 out the burrow of something else. The burrows of small speci- 

 mens are not easy to distinguish from those of certain mining 

 bees, tiger beetles, etc., if the trap is left out of the comparison. 

 None was found with sealed doors from the end of December to 

 the end of April. No observations were made during May, but 

 all nests found during June had the traps firmly plastered down 

 as in September and October. Undoubtedly this hibernating 

 period is coincident with the dry season of the Calif ornian coast. 

 The dimensions of two of the largest nests examined are : No. 1 99 

 trap 21x15 mm. ; burrow 16 cm. long, nearly straight, outer half 

 15 mm. diam., inner half 20 mm. No. 203, trap 18 x 13 mm. ; bur- 

 row 25 cm. long, 18 mm. diameter, with two decided bends. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



It is evident that the knowledge of our West Coast Araneae 

 theraphosae is far from perfect, and much interesting work is yet 

 to be done. The taxonomic work is yet none too satisfactory and 

 many gaps in the life histories are waiting to be filled in. Ques- 

 tions in distribution must be many and extensive, as only two 

 forms are reported from Washington and Oregon, with one record 

 between there and Mariposa County, California. Nevada seems 

 to have not a single record, and Idaho has but two. Even in the 

 South-eastern States the situation seems to merit considerable 

 attention, and in the South-west the genus Eurypelma is a study 

 in itself. While there are probably many taxonomic questions 

 awaiting the attention of students, it is very apparent that con- 

 clusions reached in the laboratory should be based upon as large 

 series as possible and accompanied by extensive field observations ; 

 for I find, in certain of the species discussed above, variations 

 comparable to specific dift'erences claimed by some authors. 



My acknowledgments are due to Prof. V. L. Kellogg and Mr. 

 R. W. Doane for valuable suggestions and criticisms thruout the 

 year of study; also to Dr. C. H. Gilbert and Dr. M. I. McCracken; 



