THE F.NTOMOLOGIST. Q45 



part is two or three inches long, and half an inch in diameter. 

 The tissue of the tube is very close, fine and while, and 

 resembles the cocoon in which some lepidopterous pupge are 

 enclosed. It is of uniform diameter, and terminates below in 

 a slightly pointed extremity, which is attached to a bundle of 

 silky hairs interlaced with fibres of plants. Thus the bottom 

 of the tube is protected from the humidity of the earth." 



I will now continue the quotation from the ' Zoologist,' in 

 Mr. Brown's own words: — 



"When on a visit to Hastings during the past autumn, 

 having to pass througli a lane with a high and steep sand- 

 bank on each side partially covered with grass and bushes, I 

 noticed on one of the banks, which had a south aspect, some- 

 thing hanging down, which looked like the cocoon of some 

 moth ; but found, on compressing it slightly, that it was quite 

 empty. It then occurred to me that it might be the nest of a 

 spider; and on examining more closely I found, to my 

 surprise, that it descended into the bank, and appeared 

 firmly attached at the distal extremity ; so firmly, indeed, 

 that I could not extract the first I found without breaking it. 

 My curiosity, however, was now thoroughly awakened; and, 

 on finding a second example, I went more cautiously to work, 

 removed the sand carefully with a long knife, and at a depth 

 of nine inches I found the extremity of the structure, and 

 drew it out quite perfect. It was a long silken sack, and at 

 the bottom was a hardish lump, which proved to be a spider. 

 The next I tried went very much deeper; indeed so deep 

 that I failed, after much trouble, in getting it out at all. J 

 tried many others, sometimes succeeding and sometimes 

 failing in my attempts to get them out entire. I found tljem 

 vary greatly in length, and think they may be lengthened at 

 various periods of the spider's growth. In some of the nests 

 there seemed very obvious indications of this lengthening. The 

 usual length was about nine inches, but some were very much 

 longer. Their form is tubular, commonly of an uniform 

 diameter of three-quarters of an inch, and rounded at one end 

 in the form of a purse. They are composed of very fine silk, 

 closely woven throughout; white or whitish within, and 

 covered exteriorly with yellowish or brownish particles of 

 sand, which give the tube a dirty appearance exteriorly ; but 

 inside they are always neat and clean. The exterior portion 



