248 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



" I will now relate what I saw on one of these occasions, 

 for there has been much speculation as to the manner in 

 which the spider clings to the door, and offers the determined 

 resistance which is experienced. No sooner had I gentl}' 

 touched the door with the point of a penknife than it was 

 drawn slowly, with a movement which reminded me of the 

 tightening of a limpet on a sea-rock, so that the crown, 

 which at first projected a little way above, finally lay a little 

 below the surface of the soil. I then contrived to raise the 

 door very gradually, despite the strenuous efforts of the 

 occupant, till at length I was just able to see into the nest, 

 and to distinguish the spider holding on to the door with all 

 her might, with her fangs and all her claws driven into the 

 silk-lining of the under surface of the door. The body of the 

 spider was placed across and filled up the tube, the head 

 being away from the hinge; and she obtained an additional 

 purchase in this way by blocking up the entrance." 



Mr. Moggeridge believes that whenever a spider resists in 

 this way she makes the needle-holes, to which former 

 allusion has been made ; but, without wishing to controvert 

 the opinion of so excellent an observer, I may perhaps be 

 excused for remarking that the regularity of these minute 

 holes rather militates against the supposition that they are 

 caused by this process of holding on with fangs and claws to 

 prevent the lid being opened by an enemy. 



I have here to mention a fact and a surmise in connection 

 with these trap-doors that seems to partake rather of the 

 character of romance than of sober reality. The door is 

 covered with Lycopodium and moss, presenting exactly the 

 same appearance as the sunoundiug surface. Mr. Moggeridge 

 thus describes one particular instance : — 



" The moss on the door grew as vigorously, and had in 

 every way the same appearance, as that which was rooted in 

 the surrounding earth ; and so perfect was the deception 

 that 1 found it impossible to detect the position of the closed 

 trap-door, even when holding it in my hand. There can be 

 no doubt that many nests escape observation in this way; 

 and the artifice is the more surprising because there is strong 

 reason to believe that this beautiful door-garden is deliberately 

 planted with moss by the spider, and not the effect of mere 

 chance growth." (P. 97.) 



